What is Holocaust shoe memorial in Budapest?

jewish Shoes on Danube near budapest parliament

The area in front of the Budapest parliament, at the bank of the Danube, has Jewish shoes memorial in Budapest.

The shoes are made up of bronze and are of various sizes.

The 60 pairs of shoes of men, women and children look like a wall of shoes.

If you are visiting Budapest in 2024, Budapest shoe memorial is a must visit place to understand the history associated with the Jews of Budapest.

If you are looking to stay near Budapest parliament, do check Parlament Hotel availability which is walking distance from key attractions in Budapest.

What do the shoes in Budapest mean?

These shoes represent the Jews who were shot in freezing cold while their bodies were thrown into the Danube river.

The Budapest shoe memorial was built as a tribute to the Hungarian Jews  who lost their lives in the second world war.

Jewish district in Budapest is the oldest and most interesting part of Budapest and to know the history, make sure to join Budapest Jewish Heritage Tour.

The killing was conducted by the Arrow Cross party at the very Danube Promenade in front of parliament.

Shoes on the Danube Bank is a must-visit monument, even if you are on a single day trip to Budapest in 2024.

Jewish shoes memorial near Hungarian Parliament budapest sunset view
Jewish shoes memorial near Hungarian Parliament Budapest sunset view

Jewish shoes Budapest location?

The Budapest shoe memorial is present right in front of the parliament on the pest side.

It is also known as the holocaust wall of shoes.

It is a 5 mins walk from the Budapest Parliament.

One of the top attractions in Budapest is the Great Synagogue. If you plan to visit, make sure to book your Great Synagogue ticket in advance to avoid long queues.

The Jewish shoes are fixed right at the bank of the Danube river.

It is located in between the Margaret bridge and the chain bridge.

The exact address of Jewish shoes memorial is Budapest, Id. Antall József rkp., 1054

You can find the shoes on the Danube map below.

Jewish shoe memorial History

Statues near Hungarian Parliament and Jewish shoes
Statues near Hungarian Parliament

Some of you who have limited knowledge of history might be wondering why there are sixty pairs of shoes on the bank of the Danube river.

Although the killing of Jews at the Danube bank happened during the 2nd world war.

A memorial of Jewish shoes on the Danube bank was installed in 2005.

The main contributors to the installation of the shoe memorial were Gyula Pauer and Can Togay.

Reaching Budapest Jewish Shoes

As the shoes on the Danube promenade is located next to the parliament, there are many ways you can reach in 2024.

Budapest shoes memorial by Metro

You can reach Jewish shoes on the river by Budapest Metro M2.

You should drop at the metro stop Kossuth Lajos Tér.

If you plan to visit the shoes on the Danube from Deak ferenc ter(Budapest city center), the best option is to take Metro M2.

Visiting Jewish shoes Budapest by Tram

If you are at any place at the bank of the Danube on the pest side and want to reach the bronze shoes Budapest memorial.

The best option is to take sightseeing Budapest Tram 2, which is going along the Danube bank.

You can drop at tram stop Kossuth Lajos tér (Széchenyi rakpart) and walk for 2 mins to reach the monument.

Visiting Budapest Jewish shoes by Bus

The closest bus station to the shoes on the Danube, is Kossuth Lajos tér M, where bus 70 starts its journey.

In case you want to come from City park towards the Danube shoes memorial, or want to access 6-4 metro in Budapest.

The best option is to take Bus 70 which will drop you at Kiraly Utca where you can onboard 6-4 tram.

Jewish shoes Budapest Attractions

There are a lot of attractions next to the bronze shoes Budapest memorial.

Parliament Budapest side view Hungary
Parliament Budapest side view Hungary
  1. You can visit Budapest Parliament and take pictures.
  2. Visit the memorial of the 1956 October 25th incident at Kossuth Square Budapest.
  3. Just a few walks away from parliament is Liberty Square which is a small park to relax.
  4. On your way to liberty park, you may notice the Monument of National Martyrs.
  5. Statues to be noticed next to the river Danube shoes are of Attila Jozsef Statue and Statue of Gyula Andrassy.

Museum of Ethnography is another great attraction where you can experience life in Hungary during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Food near Budapest Jewish shoes

If you continue walking along the promenade along the pest side of the Danube, you will start to see the beauty of Buda side.

Although, there are some hidden food options (a Spanish and Indian restaurant) if you stroll in the streets behind the parliament.

Right next to parliament is Szamos Chocolate Museum where you can enjoy one of the best chocolates of Hungary.

Keep in mind that if you are looking for a variety of food, this is mostly existing between the chain bridge and Elizabeth bridge.

There are no fast food restaurants in the 500m radius of the Budapest shoe memorial.

Fees to visit Budapest shoe memorial?

Shoes on the Danube bank is one of the holocaust memorials in Budapest, which is free to visit.

The shoes can be located on the Danube promenade, which is an open space next to parliament.

Budapest shoes sculptures are uniformly distributed at a wider area, hence providing enough space for visitors to take pictures.

Want to explore the best Hungarian cuisines, check out one of the best guided tour in Budapest

Fisherman Bastian View from Budapest Parliament and Jews Shoe memorial
Fisherman Bastian View from Parliament and Jews shoe memorial Budapest

Tips for visiting shoe memorial Budapest with Family

Tram along Danube parliament and jews shoe memorial
Tram along Danube parliament and Jews shoe memorial Budapest

If you are visiting the shoe memorial Budapest with kids, keep in mind that underground M2 does not have a lift,hence you need to carry your baby in hand as prams with babies are forbidden to be put on the escalators.

Similarly, coming with Tram 2, you may need help in putting your stroller into the tram.

However, the passengers are always helpful.

Also note that using public transport in this area, keep special attention to your wallets and purse as there may be some pickpockets looking for their next victims.

Good time to visit Budapest Shoe memorial

Budapest shoe memorial is a great place to visit all around the day and in the night.

During the summer, the temperature is 30C(86F) to 35C(95F) in Budapest.

Therefore, it may be exhausting walking along the Danube bank to visit Shoe memorial, as there are no covers around.

Also, you will not find any shop to buy water or food in 5 mins walking distance.

The visit to the Danube river shoes is equally enjoyable even if you visit it at night 11 pm in the summers.

Visiting  the shoe monument in winters, do cover your head, ears and body as the wind blows quite fast.

Pictures at the Shoe wall are equally exciting in winters as in summers.