Budapest Jewish Cuisine & Culture Walk

Meet your guide in central Budapest and set out on your walking tour. Your destination is Budapest’s Seventh District, a center of Jewish life that is currently undergoing a renaissance as one of its city’s hippest neighborhoods.

Delve into this historical district as your guide explains its medieval roots and how it was home to a thriving Jewish community until WWII. Hear how, during the war, the area formed the Jewish ghetto, and how those who survived served as the foundations for the city’s present-day community and vibrant Jewish culture.

Stroll the leafy streets past neoclassical houses and synagogues as your guide explains their role in today’s community. Make several different stops at eateries to savor some traditional Jewish specialities. Samples vary on each tour according to availability, but dishes you may try include turos taska, flodni and savory staples such as sausage and goose crackling.

Stop to view some of the Jewish WWII memorials and admire the Moorish-style exterior of the Dohány Street Synagogue, Europe’s largest synagogue. Additionally, check out some of the area’s street art and designer shops that attest to its hip-and-happening credentials.

Visit a restaurant and enjoy a traditional Jewish lunch of specialities such as goose soup and solet (bean stew), accompanied by wine. Chat to your guide and companions as you eat, and after rounding off your meal at a coffee bar, enjoy a kosher pálinka at a ruin pub, one of Budapest’s trendy makeshift bars or a local wine bar.

After, return to your hotel with directions from your guide, or continue exploring independently, perhaps with an interior visit to the Dohány Street Synagogue.