# Choral Temple

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Muntenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/muntenia) › [București](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/bucuresti)

> The largest synagogue in Bucharest, built in 1864–1866 in the Moorish style, with a façade of two-coloured brick and a polychrome interior with galleries on two levels; a working place of worship.

**At a glance:** Monuments and historic sites in București. The visit takes 30 min. Information verified on 25 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** A working place of worship: the daily services are held in the small hall.
- **Visit duration:** 30 min — main hall and façade
- **With kids:** Yes — place of worship, keep voices low
- **Parking:** Yes, paid — in the city centre, paid
- **Best season:** All year round — all year
- **Address:** Strada Sfânta Vineri 9–11, București
- **Coordinates:** 44.43102, 26.10665
- **Website:** https://www.jewishfed.ro/
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choral_Temple_(Bucharest)
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2778310
- **Categories:** [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice)

## About Choral Temple

The Choral Temple (Templul Coral), on Strada Sfânta Vineri, is the largest synagogue in Bucharest and one of the best-known Jewish places of worship in Romania. It was built in 1864–1866 by the modern Jewish community, on the initiative of Isaac Leib Weinberg, to plans by the Viennese architects Enderle and Freiwald, in the Moorish style, as a replica of the Tempelgasse synagogue in Vienna (1855–1858, destroyed in 1938). Its inauguration was postponed after the building was set on fire in 1866, during the dispute over citizenship for Jews; after repairs, the temple was inaugurated on 6 July 1867.

The building was extended in 1932, devastated by the Legionaries in January 1941 and renovated in 1945. A new campaign of consolidation and restoration began in 2008, and the main hall was reopened in 2015. The temple is a listed historic monument (LMI code B-II-m-A-19672) and remains a working place of worship.

### What you can see

The façade, ~32 m high, is clad in two-coloured brick and has a Moorish portal crowned by an arch, richly worked rosettes and small turrets at the corners. Inside, the hall has three aisles, with galleries on two levels, a polychrome ceiling, large chandeliers and the gilded Ark at the end of the hall. In front of the temple stands the menorah-shaped memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.

### Good to know

It is a working synagogue, not a museum: the daily services are held in the small hall. Do not confuse it with the Great Synagogue, on Strada Vasile Adamache, another Jewish place of worship in Bucharest with a history of its own.

## Don't miss

- The two-coloured brick façade, with a Moorish portal, rosettes and small turrets at the corners.
- The three-aisled hall, with galleries on two levels and a polychrome ceiling.
- The gilded Ark and the large chandeliers at the end of the hall.
- The menorah-shaped memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, in front of the temple.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the temple is in the centre of Bucharest, on Strada Sfânta Vineri, ~700 m on foot from [Manuc's Inn](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/hanul-lui-manuc) and ~1.3 km from the [Old Town](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/centrul-vechi-bucuresti). The area is busy, so the easiest option is to leave the car in a nearby car park and walk.

**Public transport:** by metro to Piața Unirii station, nearby, or by the buses and trams that run through the centre.

### Where to park

The centre of Bucharest has paid street parking and nearby car parks; check the markings and the rate where you stop.

### Rules

It is a working synagogue: decent dress, a low voice, and the objects and decoration are not to be touched.

## Details

- **Historical period:** 1864–1866

## Frequently asked questions about Choral Temple

**How long does a visit to Choral Temple take?**

A visit to Choral Temple takes about 30 min (main hall and façade).

**Can you visit Choral Temple with kids?**

Yes, Choral Temple is suitable for children (place of worship, keep voices low).

**Where can I park at Choral Temple?**

There is paid parking at Choral Temple (in the city centre, paid). The centre of Bucharest has paid street parking and nearby car parks; check the markings and the rate where you stop.

**How do I get to Choral Temple?**

Choral Temple is located at Strada Sfânta Vineri 9–11, București. By car: the temple is in the centre of Bucharest, on Strada Sfânta Vineri, ~700 m on foot from Manuc's Inn and ~1.3 km from the Old Town. The area is busy, so the easiest option is to leave the car in a nearby car park and walk. Public transport: by metro to Piața Unirii station, nearby, or by the buses and trams that run through the centre.

**When is the best time to visit Choral Temple?**

The best season for Choral Temple: All year round (all year).

## Nearby attractions

- [Manuc's Inn](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/hanul-lui-manuc) — Monuments and historic sites · București · Free · 45 min · 1 km
  An inn from 1808, built by the merchant and diplomat Manuc Bei beside the Old Court: a listed building with an inner courtyard and wooden balconies, where the 1812 Russo-Turkish peace talks took place.
- [Russian Church (Saint Nicholas)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-rusa-bucuresti) — Churches · București · 20 min · 1 km
  A church built in 1905–1909 by the Russian embassy, with seven Russian-style towers, brick façades with glazed ceramic, a gilded iconostasis and interior painting with icons by Viktor Vasnetsov.
- [Bucharest Municipality Museum – Suțu Palace](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-municipiului-bucuresti) — Museums and memorial houses · București · 20 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · 1 km
  The 1833–1835 palace near University Square, one of Bucharest's oldest aristocratic residences, houses the permanent exhibition “Time of the City”, on the history of the capital.
- [Old Town (Lipscani)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/centrul-vechi-bucuresti) — Monuments and historic sites · București · Free · 1½ – 2 hours · 1 km
  The pedestrian quarter between Calea Victoriei and Piața Unirii, with streets named after the old guilds, the ruins of the Princely Court, Bucharest's oldest church and covered arcades from the 19th century.
- [Domnița Bălașa Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-domnita-balasa) — Churches · București · 30 min · 1 km
  A church in central Bucharest, built in 1881–1885 on the site of three earlier churches, with exposed-brick façades, rich interior painting and the tomb of Domnița Bălașa, daughter of Constantin Brâncoveanu.
- [Stavropoleos Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-stavropoleos) — Monasteries · București · Free · 30 min · 1 km
  A small convent in the Old Town with a Brâncoveanu-style church from 1724, façades painted with saints in medallions, an arcaded courtyard and a lapidary of stones from vanished Bucharest churches.

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Last updated: 25 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania