Jewish Quarter Prague: a Guide to Josefov

Old-New Synagogue

The Old-New Synagogue dates from the last third of the 13th century, and Wikipedia dates its completion to 1270. It is Europe's oldest surviving synagogue still in use, with a twin nave of six vaulted bays and five-rib vaults. Rabbi Loew's seat stands empty beside the altar, and the attic is tied to the Golem legend.

Since 1 January 2024 it has had no separate ticket and entry runs through the Jewish Town circuit. More in the Old New Synagogue guide.

Pinkas Synagogue

Built in 1535 by the Horovitz family, the Pinkas Synagogue is the second oldest surviving synagogue in Prague. Its walls carry a memorial painted in 1955-1960 with the names of Bohemian and Moravian Jewish Shoah victims, counted as 77,297 by Wikipedia and as nearly 80,000 by the museum. Upstairs hang 4,387 children's drawings from Theresienstadt according to the museum, where Wikipedia gives about 4,500.

The drawings were added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. Read the full history in the Pinkas Synagogue guide.

Old Jewish Cemetery

In use from 1439 until 1786 or 1787 depending on the source, the Old Jewish Cemetery holds more than 12,000 tombstones stacked in layers, up to twelve in places. The oldest stone marks rabbi Avigdor Kara, who died in 1439, and the most visited grave belongs to Rabbi Loew, who died in 1609. Men must cover their heads.

The Old Jewish Cemetery Prague guide covers the graves and symbols.

Spanish Synagogue

The Spanish Synagogue was built in 1868 over the Old Shul, the presumed oldest synagogue in Prague. Its Moorish interior, inspired by the Alhambra and finished in 1882-1883, has gilded stucco, stained glass and a Torah ark shaped like a mihrab. The exhibition covers Jews in the Bohemian lands in the 19th and 20th centuries, including Kafka, Freud and Mahler.

See the Spanish Synagogue Prague guide.

Maisel Synagogue

Built in 1590-1592 for mayor Mordecai Maisel, the Maisel Synagogue at Maiselova 10 was once the largest building of the quarter. Fires in 1689 and 1754 damaged it, and Alfred Grotte gave it the neo-Gothic look it keeps today. The exhibition traces Jewish history in Bohemia and Moravia from the 10th to the 18th century, with an animated Langweil Model of the ghetto before clearance.

The site is covered by the circuit described in the Jewish Museum Prague guide.

Klausen Synagogue and Ceremonial Hall

The Klausen Synagogue, built in 1694 in Early Baroque style, is the largest preserved synagogue of the former ghetto and stands beside the cemetery. It closed for renovation on 1 July 2024 and is due to reopen by 2028 at the latest, though another source lists it as partly open for temporary exhibitions. The neighboring Ceremonial Hall of 1906-1908 is scheduled to open.

Both are described in the Jewish Museum Prague guide.

High Synagogue

The High Synagogue sits on the first floor of the Jewish Town Hall on Červená Street, which is where its name comes from. Pankratius Roder built it in 1568 and Mordechai Maisel paid for it. It served the rabbinical court and the Jewish council, burned partly in 1689, and after restoration in 1994-1996 it again hosts Orthodox services.

It is not part of the museum circuit and there is no dedicated guide page for it on this site.

Jewish Town Hall

The Jewish Town Hall at Maiselova 250/18 was built under Mordechai Maisel in the Renaissance style, with sources dating it to 1577 or 1586. Its facade turned Rococo in the 18th century. Two clocks face the street, one with Roman numerals and one with Hebrew numerals that runs counterclockwise.

The building is closed to the public and houses the office of the Jewish Community of Prague.

Jerusalem Synagogue

The Jerusalem Synagogue is not part of the Jewish Museum circuit, so it is visited separately. Its nearest tram stop is Jindřišská. Details and visiting notes are in the Jerusalem Synagogue Prague guide.

How the Listings Compare

The first record of Jews at Prague markets dates to 965 CE, and by the early 1700s Jews made up about a quarter of Prague's population. The 1389 Passover pogrom killed an estimated 3,000 people, and the elegy written after it by Avigdor Kara remains part of Yom Kippur services. Mordecai Maisel, the mayor, paid for the High Synagogue, the Maisel Synagogue was built for him in 1590-1592, and the Town Hall went up under him.

The clearance of 1893-1913 swept away almost everything, leaving only six synagogues, the cemetery and the Town Hall among the old streets. The Shoah then destroyed the community itself, and Prague's Jewish population fell from over 92,000 to 10,338 in 1946, with about 3,400 more leaving after 1968. Current estimates put the city's Jewish population at 1,600. If you want context while you walk, the guided options listed under Prague Jewish Quarter tours on the homepage range from a $22 exteriors-only Old Town and Jewish Quarter Walking Tour to private walks of several hours.

Maiselova: The Spine of the Quarter

Maiselova carries the Visitor Centre at Maiselova 15, where all Jewish Museum Prague tickets are sold, and the Maisel Synagogue at Maiselova 10. The Jewish Town Hall at Maiselova 250/18 stands on this street too, next to the Old-New Synagogue at the corner with Červená.

Široká: The Pinkas Synagogue and the Cemetery

Široká holds two of the most visited sites. The Pinkas Synagogue stands at Široká 3, and the entrance to the Old Jewish Cemetery is at the same address. The cemetery was in use from 1439 until 1786 or 1787 and holds more than 12,000 tombstones stacked in layers. Men cover their heads on entry, with a borrowed covering available.

The Klausen Synagogue sits beside the cemetery at U Starého hřbitova 3a. It closed for renovation in 2024 and is due to reopen by 2028 at the latest, though another source lists it as partly open for temporary exhibitions.

Pařížská and Dušní: The Edge of Josefov

The starting point of the Jewish Quarter and Museum Tour is on Pařížská at number 131/28.

The Spanish Synagogue stands at Vězeňská 1, on the corner with Dušní, and the bronze Kafka statue by Jaroslav Róna stands nearby between the Spanish Synagogue and the Church of the Holy Spirit. The statue dates from 2003, is 375 cm tall and shows Kafka riding on the shoulders of a headless figure.

Getting There and Walking Times

All the museum sites sit a few minutes' walk from Old Town Square. The figures below come from the museum's own directions page. Staroměstská on Metro Line A is the closest station, and trams 17 and 18 plus buses 194 and 207 stop there as well.

The metro runs from about 4-5 am until midnight, with trains every 2-3 minutes at rush hour.

• Staroměstská metro station: 3 minutes on foot
• Old Town Square: 5 minutes on foot
• Charles Bridge: 10 minutes on foot

The Jewish Community of Prague

The Jewish Community of Prague has its office at the Jewish Town Hall, Maiselova 250/18, 110 01 Prague 1. It is led by chairman Pavel Král and Chief Rabbi David Peter. Its stated aim is to ensure the religious and cultural life of its members, and it runs a Judaica instruction programme with published schedules. The community also operates the Chevra Kadisha burial society, a library, the EZRA home-care programme and the Hagibor care facility. The rabbinate handles kashrut certification and maintains a mikveh.

The numbers behind this community tell a hard story. Prague had over 92,000 Jewish residents in 1939, nearly 20 percent of the city. At least two-thirds perished in the Holocaust. The count stood at 10,338 in 1946, and roughly 3,400 people left after the 1968 invasion. Current estimates put Prague's Jewish population at about 1,600.

The High Synagogue and Active Worship

The High Synagogue on Červená Street, on the first floor of the Jewish Town Hall, is the community's chapel for Orthodox services. It was built in 1568 with money from Mordechai Maisel, held its last prewar worship in 1941, and after restoration in 1994-1996 services resumed in 1997. The Old-New Synagogue also remains a working house of prayer, which is why it usually closes an hour before Shabbat and stays shut on Jewish holidays.

The Shalom Restaurant

The community runs the Shalom kosher restaurant and shop, the only kosher venue named on the community's own site. Its opening hours are not stated there. The rabbinate can be reached on +420 224 800 849 and the main community office on +420 224 800 812-13 for current kosher listings.

The Ticket

The museum sells the circuit as the Jewish Quarter Ticket, one ticket for all currently open sites: five synagogues and the Old Jewish Cemetery. The Old-New Synagogue has had no separate ticket since the start of 2024 and is part of the unified circuit. For individuals and families the ticket is valid for three opening days, and each site can be entered only once per ticket. Children up to 6 enter free. Tickets are non-refundable and a lost ticket is not replaced.

You can buy it online from the museum e-shop, at the counters of the Spanish, Klausen, Pinkas and Maisel Synagogues, or at the Visitor Centre at Maiselova 15. Sales end 30 minutes before closing. The museum puts a complete visit at roughly 2-3 hours, and the official guided tour lasts 2.5 hours over six sites. Prague Jewish Quarter tours compare the guided options that include entry, so check the homepage comparison if you want a guide rather than going alone.

Hours, Saturdays and Holidays

The museum is open daily except Saturdays and Jewish holidays. The 2026 hours are 9:00-16:30 from early January to late March, 9:00-18:00 in April, 9:00-19:00 from May to the end of August, 9:00-18:00 from September to mid-October, and 9:00-16:30 for the rest of the year. On 1 January it opens 11:00-16:30 and on 24 December it closes at 14:00. Staff start ushering visitors out 10 minutes before closing.

Closed Jewish holidays include the spring festivals in early April and late May and the autumn holidays in September and early October. The museum page lists no closure dates after early October, so later holiday dates are not published yet. Temporary changes are announced at least 24 hours ahead on the museum website.

Bags, Dress and Conduct

Security checks are required at every entrance, and bags over 30 litres are refused. The museum has no luggage storage. Exposed arms, shoulders or midriff, swimwear and bare feet are not allowed. Men cover their heads in the Old Jewish Cemetery, and visitors may walk only the marked route there. Loud conversation and commentary are not allowed inside the Pinkas Synagogue, which is a memorial.

Food, drinks, ice cream and smoking are banned in all visitor areas, and dogs are banned except certified assistance dogs. Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult. Personal photos and video are allowed without tripod, selfie stick or flash. The museum advises avoiding the 11:00-15:00 peak, since mornings and late afternoons are much quieter.