Shoes on the Danube Bank

The basics

Travelers in Central Europe will find many poignant and interesting memorials to murdered Jews and others in WWII. The Shoes on the Danube Bank is a must-visit memorial in Budapest. Plaques in English, Hungarian, and Hebrew inform visitors of the story behind the iron shoes: In wartime, shoes were considered valuable, so those who were lined up to be shot were told to remove theirs before they met their fate in the icy Danube.

You can visit the memorial independently while touring the historic heart of Budapest. Alternatively, learn more on a guided walking tour or a tour focusing on Budapest’s Jewish sites. Local Danube cruises also tend to pass the memorial.

Things to know before you go

• It’s a good idea to read up on the history beforehand as the information plaques are limited.

• Try to be quiet here as many people visit to pay their respects to Holocaust victims.

• You may see people trying to fit their feet into the shoes, but it’s worth considering whether this behavior is appropriate at a solemn memorial.

How to get there

Shoes on the Danube Bank is on the eastern bank of the river, a short walk south of the Hungarian Parliament Building. If you’re coming from other parts of Budapest, the Kossuth Lajos Square tér metro station and tram stops are nearby.

When to get there

Shoes on the Danube Bank is an open-air memorial, so visitors will be most comfortable in good weather and have the best visibility in daylight. If you’re visiting Budapest in winter, when the Danube River partially freezes, consider the terrible conditions the Jewish victims memorialized here would have faced.

Visit Budapest’s beautiful synagogues

There are many Jewish sites within the Hungarian capital, including more than 30 functioning synagogues and many other memorials and historic places. Don’t miss three stand-out synagogues in the Jewish Quarter: the Dohány Street Synagogue, which is the largest synagogue in Europe; the Art Nouveau-style Kazinczy Street Synagogue; and the Rumbach Street Synagogue, which contains a Jewish Museum and Archives and a kosher café.