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Shoes on the Danube Bank

#2von 9 Orten zum Besuchen in BudapestBudapest, Central Hungary, Hungary

Auch bekannt als Cipők a Duna-parton · Shoes on the Danube Promenade

Kurz gesagt

Öffnungszeiten: No fixed opening hours. Der Eintritt ist kostenlos. Plane 20 min ein. Beste Zeit: Early morning or after 19:00.

Aktualisiert am · Erstellt von Traveliac, KI-unterstützt · 4 Min. Lesezeit

Shoes on the Danube Promenade - Holocaust Memorial
Photo: Nikodem Nijaki / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Öffnungszeiten
No fixed hours
Open to visitors 24 hours a day, all year, on the public Danube embankment.
Eintrittspreis
Kostenlos
Benötigte Zeit
20 min
Beste Tageszeit
Early morning or after 19:00
Beste Monate
Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct
Adresse
Id. Antall József rakpart, 1054 Budapest, Hungary (Pest bank of the Danube, south of the Hungarian Parliament)

Über Shoes on the Danube Bank

The Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial consists of 60 pairs of cast-iron shoes fixed to the stone edge of the Pest embankment, and it is free to visit at any hour, as of 2026. The work by the film director Can Togay and the sculptor Gyula Pauer was unveiled on 16 April 2005, and it stands a short walk south of the Hungarian Parliament, between Roosevelt tér and Kossuth Lajos tér. Shoes on the Danube Bank shows men's, women's and children's shoes of the 1940s, rusted and scattered as if left at the water's edge. The cast-iron plaques carry an inscription in Hungarian, English and Hebrew.

Beste Tageszeit: Early morning or after 19:00. When the embankment is quiet and visitors can stand without crowds; candles and flowers are visible after dark.

Öffnungszeiten von Shoes on the Danube Bank

Öffnungszeiten
No fixed hours
Mon–SunNo fixed hours
Open to visitors 24 hours a day, all year, on the public Danube embankment.
Geschlossen an
Täglich geöffnet

Gut zu wissen: The promenade can be flooded or fenced when the Danube is high, when the river level rises; the memorial may be unreachable on those days.

Öffnungszeiten zusammengestellt aus budapestinfo.hu und öffentlichen Quellen, zuletzt aktualisiert am . Sie können sich ohne Vorankündigung ändern — vor der Reise bitte bestätigen. Wie wir diese Reiseführer schreiben

Eintrittspreis für Shoes on the Danube Bank

Entry fees for Shoes on the Danube Bank
TicketPreis
StandardticketKostenlos
Ermäßigt (Studenten / Senioren)Kostenlos
KinderKostenlos

The Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial is free and open at all hours, as of 2026, with no ticket or gate. The lower Danube promenade can be closed to pedestrians when river levels are high; verify local conditions.

Preise zusammengestellt aus budapestinfo.hu und öffentlichen Quellen, zuletzt aktualisiert am . Sie können sich ohne Vorankündigung ändern — vor der Reise bitte bestätigen. Wie wir diese Reiseführer schreiben

Beste Reisezeit für Shoes on the Danube Bank

  • Quiet
  • Moderate
  • Very busy
  1. 06:00 - 09:00

    Early MorningBest time to go

    Few visitors and clear light on the river; the quietest window for reflection.

    Quiet
  2. 09:00 - 12:00

    Morning Groups

    Walking tours and small groups arrive from Parliament and the Old Town.

    Moderate
  3. 12:00 - 18:00

    Daytime Peak

    Tour groups and independent visitors crowd the narrow promenade, and it is hard to stand unobstructed.

    Very busy
  4. 19:00 - 24:00

    Evening

    Crowds thin after sunset; candles and the lit Chain Bridge give a quieter atmosphere.

    Moderate

Geschichte von Shoes on the Danube Bank

The Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial commemorates the victims shot into the river by Arrow Cross militiamen in 1944-45. The Arrow Cross was the Hungarian fascist party that took power in October 1944 under German occupation, and its gangs rounded up Jews and others, forced them to the embankment, and shot them so the bodies fell into the Danube. Victims were typically made to remove their shoes first, because leather shoes were valuable. The figure commonly quoted is about 23,500 people, some 20,000 of them Jews, though estimates vary.

The Shoes on the Danube Bank were conceived by Can Togay and made by Gyula Pauer, and the memorial was erected on 16 April 2005, on the Pest bank between Roosevelt tér and Kossuth Lajos tér. Iron plaques with an inscription in three languages record the dedication, and the shoes themselves are cast iron and fixed to the stone edge, weathered by river spray. The memorial has been desecrated on occasion, and in August 2023 a tourist was reported to have stepped into the shoes for photographs, which prompted criticism online.

Regeln & Etikette in Shoes on the Danube Bank

Shoes on the Danube Bank is a memorial to murder victims, and visitors should not step into, sit on, or move the shoes. Posing, jumping, or staging photographs on the shoes is disrespectful, and a reported incident in 2023 drew public criticism. Visitors are asked to stand back, keep voices low, and let others reach the shoes.

Shoes on the Danube Bank is often marked with candles, flowers and small stones placed by visitors, following Jewish custom for stones on memorials, and these should be left as they are. Selfie sticks and loud tour commentary are out of place at the water's edge. The promenade is narrow and near the tram line, so watch for trams on the embankment. Pickpockets operate around crowded riverside stops, so keep bags closed. There is no entry fee or ticket desk at the site.

Tipps für den Besuch von Shoes on the Danube Bank

  1. 1

    Shoes on the Danube Bank is best visited early in the morning or after dark, when the embankment is quiet and the memorial can be seen without tour groups. The site is a 10-minute walk south of the Hungarian Parliament along the embankment, so it pairs naturally with a visit to that building.

  2. 2

    Shoes on the Danube Bank lies on the Pest promenade, with the Chain Bridge to the south and Margaret Bridge to the north. Do not expect guides; cast-iron plaques at the site give the dedication, and the Dohány Street Synagogue and the Holocaust Memorial Center, a few kilometres away, give fuller context. Bring a small stone or flower only if you intend to leave it, and avoid leaving litter. When the Danube is high the lower path can be closed, so check conditions before walking down.

Anreise nach Shoes on the Danube Bank

Der rote Stern zeigt Shoes on the Danube Bank; die nummerierten Markierungen sind die 8 nächstgelegenen Orte aus unseren Reiseführern, jeweils mit ihrem Rang in der eigenen Stadt. Für Details auf eine Markierung tippen.

Id. Antall József rakpart, 1054 Budapest, Hungary (Pest bank of the Danube, south of the Hungarian Parliament)Route in Google Maps

  • Ab Hungarian Parliament Building

    0.6 km · 10 min

    Free on foot

  • Ab Deák Ferenc tér

    1.3 km · 12 min

    HUF 500 single ticket (as of 2026, third-party listing; verify at BKK)

  • Ab Budapest Ferenc Liszt Airport (BUD)

    20 km · 55-65 min

    HUF 2,500 for the 100E plus a HUF 500 ticket (as of 2026, third-party listing; verify at BKK)

Nächster Flughafen

Ab Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD), about 20 km; 100E bus to Deák Ferenc tér, then a 15-minute walk or tram 2.

Nächste Station

Ab Kossuth Lajos tér (metro M2), roughly a 10-minute walk; tram 2 runs along the embankment.

Häufige Fragen zu Shoes on the Danube Bank

Is the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial free?

Yes. The memorial is free and open 24 hours a day, as of 2026, on the public Danube embankment.

What do the Shoes on the Danube Bank commemorate?

They commemorate the victims shot into the Danube by Arrow Cross militiamen in 1944-45, commonly put at about 23,500 people, some 20,000 of them Jews, though estimates vary.

Who made the Shoes on the Danube Bank?

Can Togay conceived the memorial and Gyula Pauer made it, and it was unveiled on 16 April 2005. It consists of 60 pairs of cast-iron shoes.

Can you touch or stand in the shoes?

No. Visitors are asked not to step into, sit on, or move the shoes, and a reported 2023 incident in which a tourist stepped into them drew public criticism.

Mit KI-Unterstützung aus offiziellen Quellen und öffentlichen Aufzeichnungen erstellt und erst nach den Prüfungen veröffentlicht, die beschrieben sind unter Wie wir diese Reiseführer schreiben. Niemand von Traveliac war persönlich vor Ort. Zuletzt aktualisiert am . Wie wir Orte bewerten und prüfen