The Eastern Slovakia Jewish Heritage tour

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The Eastern Slovakia Jewish Heritage tour

By Tokaj wine tours in Slovakia and Hungary

Free cancellation available

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Features

Free cancellation available
12h
Mobile voucher
Instant confirmation
Multiple languages

Overview

This tour is built around a single, extraordinary story of Ľudovít Feld, a Košice-born artist who survived Auschwitz by working as Josef Mengele’s personal painter. Our journey begins at the cultural center dedicated to Feld, where his art and life provide an immediate, deeply personal, and profoundly unique connection to the Holocaust. From this powerful and singular starting point, the tour expands, but its thematic core of art and memory remains. We visit Bardejov, where the UNESCO-listed Jewish Suburbia serves as a testament to a community's history, and Prešov, with its celebrated Judaica collection. Finally, the cinematic connection in Sabinov—the setting for the Oscar-winning film The Shop on Main Street—provides a modern artistic lens through which to view historical events. This fusion of a single artist’s struggle with broader historical and cultural landmarks makes for a truly unparalleled experience.

Activity location

Kosice
- Kosice, Slovakia

Meeting/Redemption Point

DoubleTree by Hilton Kosice
- 1 Hlavná
- 040 01, Staré Mesto, Košický kraj, Slovakia

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The Eastern Slovakia Jewish Heritage tour in Multilingual

12h
Opening hours: Sun 9:00am-8:00pm
English

Travelers

Languages available

Price details

$581.60 x 1 Adult$581.60

Total

Until Sat, Oct 11

What's included, what's not

Entrance fee to synagogue in Košice, Prešov, Bardejov
Roundtrip transportation
Lunch

Know before you book

Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Activity itinerary

Kosice

Our day will begin at the Orthodox Synagogue on Puškinova Street in Košice. As we approach this beautiful 1927 building, we'll feel the weight of its history. This synagogue is still an active center for the local Jewish community. Inside, we'll also find the Ľudovít Feld Cultural Center. I find Feld's story incredibly moving; he was an artist who survived Auschwitz because Josef Mengele wanted him to paint and draw. The work we see here offers a poignant glimpse into his life and the rich artistic heritage of the region. After taking it all in, we'll get on the road, heading north to Prešov. The drive should take us about 45 minutes.

Presov

Our next destination is Prešov, a city once so prominent in Jewish life that it was known as the "Jerusalem of Slovakia." We'll head straight for the magnificent Prešov Orthodox Synagogue, built in 1898. I think you'll agree it’s one of the most beautiful in Europe. Inside, we'll explore the Barkany Judaica Collection, a fascinating array of Jewish religious objects housed in the women’s gallery. As we walk around the synagogue, we'll be standing in a place that was once the heart of a vibrant Jewish quarter. After our visit, we'll take a well-deserved break for lunch in Prešov's historic center.

Bardejov

Afternoon: Bardejov's UNESCO Heritage Refreshed, we'll drive about an hour to our main destination: Bardejov. This town's Jewish heritage sites are so significant that they’ve been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our first stop in town will be the unique Jewish Suburbia just outside the old city walls. This historical complex includes the Old Synagogue, a study house, and a mikvah, all of which tell the story of a community that was historically not allowed to live inside the town's center. We'll also visit the Holocaust Memorial in the garden, where over 3,000 names from Bardejov are listed by family—I find this part of the visit to be particularly powerful and heartbreaking. Afterward, we'll make our way toward the town center to see the Bikur Cholim Synagogue on Kláštorská Street, a well-preserved pre-war building from 1929.

Expozicia filmu Obchod na korze a Muzeum

30m
Admission ticket included

Optional Stop: Sabinov and the Silver Screen Now, if we have some spare time on our way back to Košice, I suggest we make a brief, but special, final stop in Sabinov. This small town is famous for one reason: it was the filming location for the 1965 Oscar-winning film The Shop on Main Street. The movie is a tragic and important story about the "Aryanization" of Jewish property during the war. To commemorate the film and its powerful message, a unique bronze statue of an Oscar holding a button has been placed in the town center. I think it's a poignant and meaningful tribute. From Sabinov, it’s a quick 60 -minute drive back to Košice. We will have covered a lot of ground and explored some truly unforgettable stories and sites of Jewish life in Eastern Slovakia.

Location

Activity location

Kosice
- Kosice, Slovakia

Meeting/Redemption Point

DoubleTree by Hilton Kosice
- 1 Hlavná
- 040 01, Staré Mesto, Košický kraj, Slovakia

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