Szeged New Synagogue

Lipot Baumhorn designed more synagogues than any other architect in Europe and this is generally reckoned his best. Finished in 1903, it mixes Gothic, Moorish and art nouveau elements in a combination that should not work: a tall dome on a drum of coloured glass, painted inside as a blue sky with white stars and a ring of flowers, and beneath it walls of white and blue carrying plant ornament. The stained glass follows a programme worked out with the rabbi of the day, so the windows carry plants, seasons and symbols with specific meanings rather than scenes. The building is far larger than the present congregation needs and is used as a concert hall as well as a synagogue.

What you actually see

• The painted dome - stars, flowers and blue sky above a drum of coloured glass.
• The stained glass - windows built around a worked-out scheme of plants and symbols.
• The white and blue interior - organic art nouveau ornament instead of applied gilding.
• The scale - a hall built for a congregation several times the size of today's.

When to go

Open Sunday to Friday with short Friday hours; it closes on Saturdays and Jewish holidays, which catches out weekend visitors. Late morning gives the best light through the dome glass. Concerts are held here occasionally through the year and are the most rewarding way to see the interior, since you get to sit in it rather than circle it.

Honest expectations

It stands in a quiet residential quarter away from the main square and is easy to leave off an itinerary. Opening hours are limited and change seasonally without much warning. Parts of the interior show their age and restoration is a long-running job. Entry is charged and photography is sometimes restricted. Twenty minutes covers it unless you are there for a concert.

Nearby

The Votive Church, the Reok Palace and Szeged's boulevards are all within walking distance.