Szeged is a city that gets under your skin quietly. Tucked on the banks of the Tisza River, its open squares and Art Nouveau curves invite you to stroll, look up, and linger a while. If you wander out of the city center and towards the leafy neighborhoods, you’ll find yourself drawn to an astonishing structure—the Zsinagóga, or the New Synagogue. It stands out not for being flashy but for how its blue-gray dome rises out of the treetops, calm and mysterious, as though it’s guarding its memories. Whether you’re a connoisseur of architecture, a seeker of hidden stories, or just after a moment of beauty, this building offers something compelling to everyone.
One of the first things that strikes anyone approaching the New Synagogue is its size and grace. Completed in 1902, it is the second largest synagogue in all of Hungary and among the grandest in Europe. But numbers alone don’t reveal its spirit. Designed by the imaginative architect Lipót Baumhorn, who created more synagogues than any other architect in Hungarian history, the building is a living testament to late 19th-century creativity. Baumhorn was never shy about mixing styles, and here he masterfully blends Art Nouveau with historical references: there’s a respectful nod to Gothic and Romanesque forms, topped off with the soft, organic lines and light motifs typical of turn-of-the-century Budapest and Vienna. Standing below the great dome (a staggering 48 meters high), you get the sense that you’re not just in a place of worship, but inside a jewel box turned inside out.
The exterior’s creamy yellow and blue-violet tones already suggest that something unusual is going on inside, but nothing quite prepares you for what awaits beyond the doors. Sunlight pours through more than a thousand stained glass windows created by the famous artisan Miklós Róth—the same craftsman behind works in the Parliament in Budapest and in the Matthias Church. The windows splash color over the creamy stone, the golden details, and especially onto the enormous blue dome painted with stars, representing the sky above Jerusalem. Late afternoon, when the sun slants through the western rose windows, is when you can really see the space come alive—as if the building is exhaling, illuminated from within.
Wandering through the grand interior, you start to pick up on some of the softer details. The seats are covered with dark, time-polished wood; the gallery is edged with graceful ironwork. It’s both grand and intimate. There are Hebrew inscriptions here and there, quietly asserting the faith and survival of a community that has faced more than its share of troubles. The Szeged Jewish community was once a major part of the city’s life, contributing to science, trade, and culture. The synagogue’s construction itself was a bold statement at the turn of the century about belonging and pride. Like so many synagogues across Europe, its history took a tragic turn during the Second World War, and today it stands as both a place for religious services (on high holidays) and as a monument to memory, resilience, and beauty.
It’s worth lingering in the garden outside, where a few ancient trees offer shade and you can see the full sweep of Baumhorn’s design. Look up and you’ll catch motifs from all over the world: there are Moroccan-style arches, delicate Hungarian folk art patterns, and even touches inspired by the great synagogues of Vienna and Berlin. It’s these layers that make the New Synagogue in Szeged so irresistibly interesting—you’re never quite sure which continent, era, or community you’ve landed in, but perhaps that’s the point. This is a meeting place in every sense.
A visit here is not simply checking a site off a city tour list; it’s an invitation to sit awhile and let your mind wander. Take a seat in one of the wooden benches, listen to the echoes, and let the interplay of color and silence work on you. Whether you’re alone or with friends, deeply religious or just deeply curious, the Zsinagóga offers an encounter with history, artistry, and a gentle kind of grandeur—all right in the heart of Szeged.
