Dubrovnik’s Synagogue and Jewish quarter – guided tour
Did you know there is a synagogue and an old Jewish quarter in Dubrovnik? This thematic guided tour will give you the answer.
Dubrovnik’s Synagogue is situated in one of the narrow streets inside the old city. It is close to the main street. Žudioska ulica – the street’s name reveals a bit. It means the “Jewish street”. During this thematic tour we will walk through the old city as well but with different stories this time. One cannot isolate the history of the Dubrovnik Jews from the rest of the city. That’s why on this tour you will find out how was the life of the Jews in Dubrovnik. Our journey through this topic will end in our time. At the end of the tour, we will visit the synagogue and the Jewish museum.
The Jews were passing through Dubrovnik already in the Middle Ages. Those were the merchants who were just stopping here on their way towards other destinations. After 1492 and 1498 more Jews started to come and some stayed. Those were the Sephardic Jews that arrived from Spain and Portugal after the expulsion. Shortly after, the Jewish quarter was formed and since then the Dubrovnik synagogue has been there. Throughout history, there were times when the Dubrovnik Republic treated the Jews better, and in others worse. The original community was Sephardic. However, during the 19th century, several Ashkenazi families arrived. Unfortunately, during the Second World War, the Jewish community suffered and lost a lot. The few descendants that still live in Dubrovnik and the other members take care of the heritage that remains.
Itinerary of the tour
The meeting point is Pile square. It is situated next to the western entrance to the old city. First, we walk down to Stradun, the main street, and we stop in the middle. Then we continue toward the main square, Luža. For centuries Luža was the heart of the city. It was the market square, but also there were the customs in the beautiful Sponza palace that is still there. After the stop on Luža square, we stroll to the Rector’s Palace. The Rector’s palace was the old seat of the government, but the prisons were there as well. After that, we walk through the old port through which, in the past, so many passengers were arriving and leaving. After we pass again through the main square, we arrive in the Jewish street. The last stop is the Dubrovnik synagogue and the Jewish museum
A few things you need to keep in mind about this tour
- The price of the tour does not include the entrance tickets to the synagogue and the Jewish museum. The price of a ticket is 10 euro per person.
- The Synagogue is on the second floor of a building. There are 40 steps to climb.
- The tour is completely walking. Inside the old city, vehicles are not allowed. The exceptions are the ambulance, fire engines, and delivery vehicles.
- The maximum number of persons is 8 per tour. If you are more than 8, don’t hesitate to contact me. In that case, I will send you an offer with a price quote.
- The meeting point is PILE square.
From the tour
