Visiting the Jewish Sites in Prague, Czech Republic

The city of Prague was home to nearly 100,000 Jews before the start of World War II. Unfortunately the atrocious acts of the Shoah and the time since then has diminished the Jewish population to only 5,000 today.

Luckily the city and Jewish community of Prague has well preserved many of the significant buildings from the hundreds of years of Jewish life before WWII. In our Prague Jewish Site Guide, we cover all the best places to visit in the city and beyond.

Old Jewish Town

All the sites in the Old Jewish Town are controlled by the Jewish Museum in Prague. Tickets to visit every site costs CZK 480/adults, or skip the Old-New Synagogue for CZK 300/adults. You can purchase tickets online or when you arrive. Tickets are good for 7 days, so do not feel rushed to visit them all in one day.

Maisel Synagogue

The Maisel Synagogue was built in 1592, financed by the Mayor of the Prague Jewish Town. It is the prime example of the height of the golden age for the Prague ghetto.

Pinkas Synagogue

The Pinkas Synagogue was built in 1535 for the family of the famous Horowitz rabbinic line. It now houses a memorial to the nearly 80,000 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Bohemia and Moravia.

Old Jewish Cemetery

The Old Jewish Cemetery of Prague is an extraordinary view into the Jewish community having to historically live in a confined ghetto. Dating back to the 15th century, 12,000 tombstones represent graves stacked up to 10 deep, due to the limited space in the ghetto.

Klausen Synagogue

The Klausen synagogue is the biggest synagogue in Prague’s Jewish Quarter. It now has an interactive museum about Jewish festivals and customs relating to daily life and life milestones.

Ceremonial Hall

By Jim Linwood

Attached to the Klausen Synagogue is the Ceremonial Hall, the former location of the Prague Burial Society, where bodies were prepared for burial. It is now a continuation of the Klausen Synagogue exposition with details about the customs and ceremonies associated with death and burial.

Spanish Synagogue

The Spanish Synagogue is the newest, built in 1868 in a moorish style for the Reform congregation. The interior has been restored to its former glory and has an exposition on modern Jewish history in the Czech lands.

Old New Synagogue

The Old New Synagogue is Europe’s oldest active synagogue. It is home to the folklore legend, Golem of Prague. It might not appear like it from the outside, but the building is well below street level, due to the rising street height over the centuries.

Jerusalem Synagogue

The Jerusalem Synagogue, also known as the Jubilee Synagogue, is the only site not part of the Jewish Museum in Prague. It has a very beautiful interior and facade with an eclectic mix of Moorish Revival and art nouveau.

The synagogue is open from April to October, Sunday through Friday, from 11AM to 5PM.

Terezin Concentration Camp

One of the most important, yet most heartbreaking parts of any trip to the Czech Republic is an important reminder of what has happened in its history. Terezin became a “model Jewish settlement” for propaganda purposes, including a visit from an investigative commission of the International Red Cross in 1944.

Kosher Restaurants

King Solomon

The King Soloman is the first kosher restaurant in contemporary Prague. The small restaurant has a beautiful ambiance reminding us of Jerusalem and delicious glatt kosher menu.

Dinitz

Dinitz is glatt kosher, located behind the Spanish Synagogue. It provides a more relaxed and family style atmosphere.

Chabad Restaurant

The local Chabad in Prague has two separate restaurant options available, both for meat and dairy dishes. While it was the best priced kosher food in Prague, the location is several blocks out of the way, in comparison to the other restaurants in the heart of the historic Jewish district.

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