The streets of District VII closest to the city centre have been home to the religious centres of Orthodox Jews since the 19th century. This includes Europe’s largest synagogue found on Dohány utca, and the synagogues on Rumbach Sebestyén utca and Kazinczy utca. In November 1944, the area between Király utca, Kertész utca, Dohány utca and Károly körút was delineated as the Jewish Ghetto, which segregated tens of thousands of Jews, removing non Jewish citizens. After the war, the depopulated quarter was left neglected, until slowly being revived once the Jewish Quarter was transformed into Budapest’s party zone. After 2000, ruin bars began popping up in many buildings and their inner courtyards. These include the emblematic Szimpla Kert, Fogasház and the Mika Tivadar Mulató, while for a more culinary experience, there’s now Mazel Tov. Aficionados of literature flock to Massolit.
