This synagogue played an important role in the Jewish history of Budapest. The temple was designed by famed Austrian architect Otto Wagner, known for creating prominent Art Nouveau structures. It was later used by the Nazis to incarcerate Jewish people during the Holocaust. Today, the space has been mostly restored, and it's open to visitors six days a week.
You can purchase a ticket to explore the ornate interior of the synagogue, though temporary exhibitions may require an additional fee. You can easily pair a stop with visits to the district's other two other famous synagogues—the Kazinczy Street Synagogue and Dohány Street Synagogue (otherwise known as the Great Synagogue)—or stop by on a Jewish heritage walking tour.
If you're not visiting on a Jewish tour of Budapest's District VII, you can easily take the metro to the Rumbach Street Synagogue. Hop on the M1, M2, or M3 subway trains to the Deák Ferenc Tér stop, walk up Király Street, and take a right on Rumbach Sebestyén Street. The synagogue's distinctive Moorish styling is hard to miss.
The Rumbach Street Synagogue is open from Sunday to Friday, and closed to visitors on Saturdays. The synagogue is also typically closed on Hungarian national holidays and Jewish high holidays, but since there are no services held in the synagogue, you may find the space open on odd days. Check the calendar to confirm.
The Rumbach Street Synagogue is only one of many Jewish cultural sights in Budapest, and you can see more with a Jewish heritage tour. Tours typically pass the area's synagogues and memorials, and may stop at the Jewish baths, swing by a Kosher pastry shop, and cover the cultural evolution of the district—from Jewish ghetto to hipster hub.
