Why visit: history, Jewish heritage, panorama
The Shoes on the Danube is a memorial to the Budapest Jews who were shot by Arrow Cross militiamen between 1944 and 1945. The victims were lined up and shot into the Danube River. They had to take their shoes off, since shoes were valuable belongings at the time.
The memorial was created by Gyula Pauer, Hungarian sculptor, and his friend Can Togay in 2005. It contains 60 pairs of iron shoes, forming a row along the Danube. Each pair of shoes was modeled after an original 1940's pair. For more of an insight read 'One of Budapest's Most Moving Memorials: Shoes on The Danube'.
Getting to the Shoes on the Danube: Take Streetcar 2 either to Széchenyi István tér or to Kossuth tér. The memorial is between the Parliament Building and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, by the Danube.
Insider Tip: If you want to learn more about Budapest's Jewish heritage sign up for a Secrets of the Jewish Quarter Tour.