Many visitors come to explore Jewish Prague – especially Josefov – as it’s one of best-preserved Jewish quarters in Europe. The synagogues and other sights in the Josefov area of Prague Old Town now constitute the Prague Jewish Museum, but there are several other Prague Jewish sites around the city. I’ll show you all of them in this guide.
The Jewish Museum in Prague was founded in 1906, and it came under the control of the Nazis after their takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1939. Some have suggested that they intended to turn it into a museum of an extinct (or exterminated) race, and although they collected thousands of Jewish artefacts, we don’t know for certain that they intended to create such a museum.
The places I write about in this article include the synagogues and cemeteries, as well as the station from which they were deported from the city, mostly never to see it again. I have also included some places associated with Prague’s renowned Jewish writer Franz Kafka. It’s an often solemn journey, but as I visited these locations I was also touched by the exuberance of some of the art and architecture I saw, and the magic of life in the beautiful old Jewish quarter of Josefov. These survivals gave me a feeling of hope, one I hope other visitors will also share in time.
Jewish Prague – Tickets And Tours
The first seven locations I describe – the five Old Town Synagogues, Old Jewish Cemetery and Guttmann Gallery – comprise the Jewish Museum of Prague, and all are covered by a single ticket – which you can purchase here along with an optional audio guide.
The other locations I write about – with the exception of the Jerusalem Synagogue and Terezin – are free to visit.
I recommend a walking tour of the Jewish Quarter as well as the Jewish Museum, as this brings the whole area to life better. This walking tour is the most extensive, also taking you on a brief visit to the cellars of a 12th-century Palace.
For a broader understanding of the city’s Jewish history, I recommend this tour of Jewish Prague, which takes you to the Gate of Infinity Memorial and beautiful Jerusalem Synagogue.
Visiting Prague Jewish Sites – Do’s and Don’ts
You need to observe a few simple dress code rules when visiting synagogues and Jewish cemeteries.
When I visited I wore my usual everyday clothes – a t-shirt and long combat trousers – which was accepted everywhere.
Generally people are asked to dress conservatively. Women are asked to cover their shoulders and not to wear short skirts or other revealing clothing. Dresses, longer skirts or pants are all fine. The expectations are very similar to what you would expect visiting a Roman Catholic church in Italy.
Men are also expected to wear some sort of head covering, and some synagogues where tourists regularly visit offer single-use kippahs or yarmulkes, small skullcaps which men are asked to wear on their heads. When visiting Jewish cemeteries I usually wear a sun hat, which is acceptable, but some places may request that you wear a skullcap.
Jewish Prague – Josefov – Jewish Quarter In Old Town Prague
Prague Old Jewish Cemetery
The Old Jewish Cemetery is the oldest surviving Jewish burial ground in Prague. There was an earlier cemetery in Prague New Town which was closed in 1478. We don’t know when this Josefov Cemetery was opened, but the oldest gravestone is from the mid-15th century.
The Cemetery is next to the Pinkas Synagogue (see next section) and was in use until 1786, by which time the Cemetery in Žižkov had also been in operation for over a century.
It’s an incredibly evocative cemetery, which is largely because of the tightly packed, often leaning centuries-old gravestones. As it was often difficult to obtain new land for burials, Prague Jewish authorities had no option but to bury existing graves in order to make space for new ones, and in parts of the Cemetery, it’s believed that there are up to twelve layers of burials.
Many important Prague Jews were buried in the Old Jewish Cemetery, and the best-known of them is Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, who is linked with the famous Golem legend (see also the Old New Synagogue section below).
The Cemetery is part of the Prague Jewish Museum, and can be visited with a valid ticket.
Pinkas Synagogue
The Pinkas Synagogue was founded in 1535 by Aharon Horowitz, who decided to build a synagogue on a plot of land owned by his family. Part of the building – the ceiling vault – is Gothic in style, which makes it one of the last Gothic buildings in the city. Other parts of the building – including the main entrance – are Renaissance in style.
The Synagogue has had to be rebuilt a few times because it’s built on low ground, and therefore prone to floods from the nearby Vltava river. It needed extensive rescue work following the city’s most severe flood in 2002.
This included restoration of a list of the 77,297 souls from the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (the equivalent of the modern Czech Republic) who were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust.
Old New Synagogue
The Old New Synagogue (Staronova synagoga) was completed in 1270, and is the oldest synagogue in Europe where there is regular worship. From the outside the upper part resembles the type of gabled Baltic Gothic churches you find across northern Poland and the Baltic coast of Germany. Inside, it resembles many a Gothic church, particularly with its superb stone vaulting. Interestingly, the same architects also built the nearby St Agnes Convent, which now house the Medieval part of the National Gallery of Prague.
It was originally known as the New Synagogue (or Shul) but after other synagogues were opened in the 16thcentury, its name changed to Old New (Altneu in Yiddish, Staronova in Czech) to differentiate it from other new places of worship in the area.
The Synagogue is also said to be the home of the Prague Golem. The Golem figure is a Jewish tradition across Europe, a figure in the form of a human said to be made of clay which would protect the local Jewish community. The Prague Golem was believed to have been created by Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, also known as the Maharal or father figure. The Golem was believed to have been buried in the attic of the Old New Synagogue, but when it was eventually opened no clay creation was found.
Spanish Synagogue
The Spanish Synagogue, in the western part of the Josefov district, was built between 1868 and 1883 on the site of the Altschul or Old Synagogue, at the time the oldest Prague synagogue.
It’s known as the Spanish Synagogue because of its architectural style – Moorish Revival – and not because of any Sephardic (western) connections.
The Spanish Synagogue is one of the two most ornate synagogues in Prague. The exterior features some intricate stone reliefs, while the inside is richly decorated with gilded and multicoloured arabesque patterns. The most impressive parts are the dome and the Torah Ark below the east window (pictured above).
Maisel Synagogue
The Maisel Synagogue (Maiselova synagoga) is a few steps from the Old Town Square in one direction and the Old Jewish Cemetery in the other. It was originally built in the 1590s by wealthy benefactor and community leader Mordechai Maisel, who was able to get permission through a personal connection to Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II.
It was originally built in late Renaissance style, but suffered severe fire damage in 1689 and again in 1754. It was restored in more of a Gothic revival style in the 19th century, and continued as a place of worship until 1938. After World War Two it served as a storehouse for the Prague Jewish Museum, before opening as part of the Museum with an exhibition on Jewish silverware.
The Maisel Synagogue was thoroughly restored during the 1990s following the fall of Communism . It now houses what I think is the best exhibition in the entire Jewish Museum in Prague.
Several interactive screens give you the chance to delve back to an animated version of the old Jewish town of Prague, with its red rooftops, snow-covered spires and many unfamiliar, long-lost buildings. Old Town Prague is immensely enchanting, but you should see this for an idea of what it looked like 150 years ago. It’s absolutely magical, and this wondrous glimpse into Prague’s past is the most uplifting sight I encountered while exploring Jewish Prague.
Klausen Synagogue
The Klausen Synagogue, on the northern corner of the Old Jewish Cemetery, is the only surviving Baroque synagogue in Prague. Three others were destroyed during the huge rebuilding (see below) of the Josefov area at the turn of the 20th century, but the Klausen was, fortunately, spared.
Today it is part of the Prague Jewish Museum, and it houses an exhibition on Jewish religious festivals and their place in family life.
Josefov Jewish Quarter
Much of the historic Josefov district was demolished around the turn of the 20th century – an enormous loss of heritage. The intention was to make Prague more like Paris – with the narrow streets of the Jewish quarter replaced with wider avenues.
Mikulašská třida was one of the streets which changed significantly. It ran from Old Town Square to Čechův most, the Art Nouveau bridge over the Vltava, but was renamed Pařížská – Paris Street – in 1926.
It’s now full of luxury and high end boutiques and stores, by far the biggest concentration of them in Prague or the Czech Republic. It has been compared with the Avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris, but it’s a much smaller, far more intimate affair.
The most interesting aspect of Pařížská is its Art Nouveau architecture, with some stunning apartment buildings on either side of the street.
Franz Kafka Statue
Jaroslav Rona’s figure of author Franz Kafka is one of the quirkier Prague statues (and therefore in good company).
It can be found a few steps from the Spanish Synagogue, and was inspired by Kafka’s short story, Description of a Struggle. In this story, the protagonist is carried around by a headless figure – represented here by the lower figure, which has a hole for a head.
The statue was installed in 2003.
The Calvary on the Charles Bridge
The statue of Christ on the Cross was completed in 1628, but only put in place on the Charles Bridge in 1657. The figures either side – of St Mary and St John – were added over 200 years later, in 1861.
The Hebrew inscription around the Christ figure is a classic example of anti-Semitism. In 1696 Elias Backoffen, a prominent member of the Prague Jewish community, was found guilty of blasphemy – by saying that Christ wasn’t the Son of God. In response, he was forced to pay for the inscription in gold lettering, which translates as ‘Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts’, a common Jewish prayer dating back to the Book of Isaiah.
The punishment was designed to humiliate Backoffen, and also antagonise the Jewish community. The inscription was partially altered in the 20th century, but I’ve always wondered why it remains there, even with explanations as to why it was wrongful.
See Also: Charles Bridge Prague – One Of The Most Beautiful Bridges In Europe
Jerusalem Synagogue
Also known as the Jubilee Synagogue (as it was begun during the jubilee year of Habsburg Emperor Franz Josef I, 1898), the Jerusalem Synagogue is the most colourful and exuberant of Prague synagogues, one I enjoyed seeing countless times as I walked past it on the way to Prague’s main train station.
It was designed by Viennese architect Wilhelm Stiassny to an exotic design somewhere between Art Nouveau and Moorish Revival. Red and gold stripes dominate on the façade, which also features Moorish-style arches and a window in the shape of the Star of David.
The interior is, if anything, even more striking, a blaze of colour with gilded arches, red and blue gallery balustrades and superb stained-glass windows in the roof. The gallery on the first floor hosts an exhibition on the history of Jews in Prague.
The Synagogue isn’t part of the Jewish Museum of Prague, so a separate ticket (150 CZK, payment on the door) is required. However, if you have a valid Jewish Museum ticket, the ticket price is reduced to 100 CZK.
See Also: 28 Amazing Things To See In New Town Prague
Stolpersteine – Memory Stones
Stolpersteine – ‘stumble stones’ – are a common sight across Central Europe. Originally the idea of artist Günter Demnig, over 100,000 have been installed across Europe since 1992.
A stolperstein is an inscribed brass plate cast in concrete, and then placed in the pavement outside the last known homes of victims of Nazism. These are predominantly Jews, many of whom were deported to the gas chambers in the Nazi death camps, and also Sinti, Roma, gays and other persecuted minorities.
Each stolperstein usually begins with the words ‘Here Lived’, followed by the person ‘s name, the date of their deportation, their destination and ultimate fate. I think it’s a brilliant way to keep the memory of so many people alive. You will find them all over Prague, including the Josefov Old Town area.
Žižkov Old Jewish Cemetery
This burial ground in Žižkov – an inner-city suburb that was originally outside the city boundaries – was opened in 1680 to accommodate victims of a plague outbreak. After this, the Old Jewish Cemetery (see earlier in the article) in Josefov was no longer used.
The Žižkov burial ground continued to be used until 1890, by which time around 40,000 of Prague Jews had been interred there. Burials continued thereafter at the nearby New Jewish Cemetery in Olšany, which I cover in the following section.
Sadly, much of the Žižkov Jewish Cemetery was lost when the site was chosen as the location for the Žižkov TV Tower, which was once famously voted the world’s second ugliest building. Some of the gravestones that were removed were then used to pave Wenceslas Square – a horrific faux pas that was rectified afterwards, with the stones being returned to form a new monument in. the Cemetery.
Many visit the Cemetery to pay their respects at the grave of 18th-century Rabbi Noda bi-Yehuda.
See Also: 10 Best Things To Do In Žižkov Prague
New Jewish Cemetery, Olšany – and Franz Kafka’s Grave
The New Jewish Cemetery is part of the vast Olšany Cemetery (Olšanské hřbitovy) complex to the southeast of the suburb of Žižkov. It was opened around 1890, and many of the early tombs and graves were built in the contemporary Art Nouveau style.
The main entrance is close to the Želivského Metro station (on line A). The impressive Ceremonial Hall (pictured) was the work of Bedřich Münzberger and Alfons Wertmiler, and was completed soon after the Cemetery’s opening. There is another Ceremonial Hall added decades later elsewhere in the Cemetery.
One of the most famous monuments in the New Jewish Cemetery is the grave of writer Franz Kafka. From the original Ceremonial Hall, it is around a 300-metre walk – follow the perimeter path east, and two signposts helpfully guide you there. He is interred there along with his parents Hermann and Julie.
Gate To Infinity Memorial
One of the least visited Jewish Prague sites is this memorial at the former Praha-Bubny train station in Holešovice.
It was from this station that over 73,000 Czech Jews were deported to the Theresienstadt Ghetto, also known by its Czech name, Terezin. It was a transit camp, from where most Jews were sent on to be murdered in the gas chambers at Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps in occupied Poland.
The memorial is stark and simple, a sloping railway track rising 20 metres upwards towards the sky. It was one of the last works of Czech sculptor Aleš Vesely, who died a few months after it was installed in 2015.
Valediction Memorial, Prague Main Train Station
This moving memorial is the more recent of two monuments to the Kindertransports from Prague in 1939, which saved 669 children from death at the hands of the Nazis in subsequent years.
This beautiful memorial, created in 2017, is a model of a train door, the window filled with handprints. It’s the work of glass engraver Jan Hunat, who travelled to the UK to make casts of Kindertransport survivors, which were then engraved into the glass.
It was funded by survivors to acknowledge the heartbreaking sacrifice that so many parents made, saying goodbye to their beloved children knowing they would never see them again. It’s located in one of the passages leading from the main concourse to the station’s platforms – and it’s directly below the stunning original Art Nouveau dome of the station, the work of architect and designer Josef Fanta.
Nicholas Winton Kindertransport Memorial, Prague Main Train Station
The second Kindertransport memorial at Prague main train station is a statue of Sir Nicholas Wionton, the British broker who arranged the safe transport of 669 children from what was then Czechoslovakia to Britain and Sweden. He would have saved at least 250 more but for the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, which forced the cancellation of an additional train to London.
Most children never saw their parents again as they were murdered during the Holocaust. Their parents saw the imminent danger, and heartbreakingly decided to say farewell to their children so they at least had a chance of life. The statues, cast in 2009 by Flor Kent, are of Winton holding a young boy while a young girl looks on, distraught. I told my son, seven years old at the time, some of the background to this as we approached the statues, and he immediately went up to the statue of the girl and hugged her.
The clips of Nicholas Winton meeting some of the children he helped save almost 50 years after they boarded his trains are among the most moving things you’ll ever see on screen. I saw both clips as they were broadcast on the BBC’s That’s Life programme in 1988, and recall the tears flooding down my face as 30 to 40 people whom he had saved stood up around him. Click here for the clips on YouTube.
Theresienstadt Ghetto – Terezin Concentration Camp
If you’re interested in the history of Jewish Prague, the logical progression would be visiting Terezin concentration camp at some point. The camp was located in and around the Austrian-built 18th-century fortress town of Theresienstadt, around an hour north of Prague.
The complex was intended as a transit point for Czech and other European Jews en route to murder in the gas chambers in the Nazi death camps to the north and east in Poland. The ‘Ghetto’ began in the Small Fortress on the edge of the town, and the other barracks and buildings in the town were used to house Jewish deportees, usually in appalling conditions. Over 33,000 died at the camp during its five years of operation, and a further 88,000 were sent to their deaths in the gas chambers.
Visiting Terezin is a harrowing experience, but differs in some ways from other Holocaust sites in Europe. Prisoners were kept at Terezin for months, even years, and some form of cultural life was permitted. Indeed, when it suited them – for propaganda purposes – or a highly staged ‘inspection’ by the International Red Cross – the Nazis encouraged this aspect of ghetto life in order to deceive the world and obscure their true intention, mass murder.
Most tours include two of the three main sites – the Small Fortress, Ghetto Museum and Magdeburg Barracks – the exhibitions in the latter two are excellent.
Terezin is the most sobering of day trips from Prague, but I recommend visiting it or another Nazi site at least once in your lifetime if you haven’t already. Places like this are the final stop on the journey begun by hatred peddlers across Europe, in the US and elsewhere in the world. I’d recommend that some of these people also visit somewhere like Terezin, though it probably wouldn’t even touch them, so far are they gone.
More Jewish Heritage In The Czech Republic
The Czech Republic has an incredibly rich Jewish history and heritage, going back over a thousand years. The best of it is spread out widely, so to explore it extensively you would need to devote a fair bit of time to do it justice.
At the opposite end of the country, there are several fascinating Jewish sites in Moravia, which could be visited as day trips from Brno. The border town of Mikulov has a beautifully preserved Jewish quarter with a synagogue, cemetery and museum, and is a lovely base for exploring the far south of Moravia.
An hour to the west of Brno, World Heritage-listed Třebíč has one of the best-preserved Jewish quarters in Europe, with over a hundred surviving buildings, including the Zadni Synagogue. And an hour to the north of Brno, Boskovice also has a well-preserved Jewish quarter.
Across the country in Bohemia, the Great Synagogue is one of the best things to see in Plzeň, and the largest synagogue in the Czech Republic. And an hour to the east of Prague, there are also fine synagogues in Jičín and, further north in the Bohemian Paradise region, at Turnov.
Hotels In Prague Near The Jewish Quarter
The Jewish Quarter is part of the Old Town in Prague, so many of the best hotels in the city are right on the doorstep. Here are some of my picks:
***** – Four Seasons Hotel Prague – luxury hotel, views of Vltava River, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, and less than 5 minute’ walk from the Jewish Quarter
**** – Hotel Rott – gorgeous 500-year-old hotel a minute’s walk from the Old Town Square, and less than 5 minutes from Josefov
**** – Hotel Karlova – superb central option, halfway between Old Town Square and Charles Bridge
**** – Golem – apartments and serviced rooms across the street from the Old New Synagogue and Jewish Town Hall
** – Celine Prague Hostel – possibly the best budget option in Prague Old Town
Places To Visit In Jewish Prague – Final Thoughts
I hope you have found this guide to Jewish Prague helpful. I’ve visited some of these sights several times over, and I can’t recommend enough that you branch out beyond Prague’s original Jewish Quarter. You’ll have some of the more widespread locations almost to yourself, and they give a more complete picture of Jewish life in the city.
I lived in Prague for over four years, and have written about it extensively on this site. Take a look through some of the other Prague articles I have written below:
Top Sights In Prague
55 Amazing Things To Do In Prague – By A Former Local
Charles Bridge Prague – one of the most beautiful bridges in the world
Old Town Square Prague – one of the most beautiful squares in the world
Týn Church Prague – stunning Gothic church with fairytale spires
Landmarks of Prague – 22 unmissable sights in the city
Hidden Gems in Prague -27 off the beaten track sights to seek out
How To Visit Prague Zoo – one of the best in Europe
Prague by Area
Old Town Prague – one of the most captivating old towns in Europe
New Town Prague – the modern heart of the Czech capital – but a taste of the old is never far away
Malá Strana Prague – the enchanting Baroque ‘Lesser Quarter’ below Prague Castle
Kampa Island Prague– the most beautiful and intriguing of Prague’s islands
Vltava River in Prague– everything there is to see along the river in the Czech capital
Themed Articles On Prague
Churches in Prague – 20 wondrous churches from St Vitus Cathedral to a modernist masterpiece in Vinohrady
Communist Prague – 18 Fascinating Places To Explore
Sunsets In Prague – the 10 best places to see them
Prague Streets – the city’s most beautiful streets
Prague Parks – green escapes, riverside walks, beer gardens and more
Prague Gardens – the stunning formal gardens of Prague
Prague World War 2 Sites – including the Heydrich assassination site and more
When To Visit Prague
Prague in Springtime –the best time to explore the city’s stunning parks and gardens
Prague in Autumn – one of the best cities for fall colours in Europe
Prague in Winter – Christmas, cafes, cosy restaurants – and Czech beer!
Prague in Snow – one of Europe’s most beautiful cities is even more magical with a coating of the white stuff