Páva utcai zsinagóga sits quietly in Budapest’s Józsefváros, away from the city’s louder crowds, and isn’t always on the usual tourist’s checklist. That’s exactly what makes a visit here so special. This historicist-style synagogue on Páva utca quickly distinguishes itself with its poetic mix of architectural styles and deep-rooted cultural history. You’ll find it just a few blocks from bustling Üllői út, hiding grand stories behind its modest yellow brick façade, which was first unveiled to the city in 1924.
Wander towards the building and you’ll immediately notice the symmetrical, horseshoe windows and the interplay between brick and decorative detailing. Its eclecticism is very much in tune with the wave of synagogue building that washed over Budapest at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries. The architect responsible, Lipót Baumhorn, was something of a specialist—his name pops up on several of Hungary’s most beautiful shuls. At Páva Street he worked his magic by merging Moorish, Art Nouveau, and traditional Jewish motifs, giving the synagogue an inviting, almost mysterious warmth. The dome is perhaps the most striking feature: luminescent, blue, and gold, it crowns the prayer hall and, when sunlight hits, casts a radiant, inviting glow over anyone who steps inside.
From the outside, you might mistake Páva Street Synagogue for a grand civic building or lavish home, until you spot the Star of David and Hebrew inscriptions delicately etched onto its surfaces. Inside, the detailed stained glass and ornate Aron haKodesh (the holy ark) are an invitation to look closer, to let history linger a little longer as you wander through the gallery or stand in the main prayer hall. The synagogue was constructed to hold a growing Jewish community in Budapest’s 8th district—a place that was experiencing massive change at the time, and where Jewish life played a vital role in the city’s vitality. In its early years, Páva Street blossomed not only as a religious center, but also as a gathering point for the local community, drawing in neighbors for festivals, weddings, and shared moments of peace.
Of course, that peace was not to last, and the synagogue—like so many in Europe—faced darkness during the Second World War. You can feel this undercurrent in the building’s bones; it is proud but contemplative. During the German occupation, Páva Street was subsumed into the Budapest Ghetto, the synagogue and its surrounding area a shelter for Jews seeking momentary safety until the end of the war. It isn’t just a place of worship, then—it stands as a living witness to the city’s resilience, echoes of joy and sorrow blending beneath the central dome.
If you visit today, there’s even more to discover. The synagogue shares its grounds with the Holocaust Memorial Center, an essential stop for understanding the city’s—and Hungary’s—Jewish past and present. This modern center, deliberately built alongside the historic synagogue, hosts exhibitions and a poignant memorial, creating a dialogue between the memory of tragedy and the hope of ongoing life and learning. Step between the two buildings and you’ll sense a deliberate continuity, a refusal to let the past slip away quietly.
But beyond the heavy history, there’s an inviting serenity to walking Páva utcai zsinagóga’s tiled floors. Even if you aren’t religious (or even if you are), its beautiful architecture and layers of memory deserve time and contemplation. Pause, look up at the blue dome, and let your thoughts drift. Visiting Páva Street Synagogue is a gentle reminder of the stories that live in architecture, and the perseverance of communities that refuse to be forgotten. The next time the usual tourist path feels predictable, consider a detour to Józsefváros—sometimes, the city’s quietest corners hold the most resonant beauty.
