Prague (Praha) Josefov

The sights of Josefov, mostly syngagogues, are all located within close proximity. ( > A: Staroměstská. $ Admission to all synagogues except Staronová 300Kč, students 200Kč. Staronová 200/140Kč. Combined tickets 480/320Kč. h Synagogues open Apr-Oct M-F and Su 9am-6pm; Nov-Mar M-F and Su 9am-4:30pm. Closed Jewish holidays.) While ambling through the Jewish district, take note of the beautiful early 20th-century Art Nouveau architecture. While walking down Široká street—”Wide Street” in Czech—take a moment to realize the sheer gravity of the ghetto.

Old Jewish Cemetery (Starý Židovský Hřbitov), U starého hřbitova 243/3a (☎222 317 191), The Old Jewish Cemetery stretches between the Pinkas Synagogue and the Ceremonial Hall. A winding path snakes through the uneven mounds covered with eroded and broken tombstones jutting out of the ground at unexpected angles. Between the 14th and 18th centuries, the graves were dug in layers, and over time the earth settled so that the stones from the lower layers were pushed to the surface, forcing many of the newer stones out of position and creating an indistinguishable mass of graves. Rabbi Loew is buried by the wall opposite the entrance. To the right of Pinkasova Synagogue. Camera fee 40Kč. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access.

Spanish Synagogue (Španělská Synagoga), Vězeňská 141/1 (☎221 711 511), The Spanish Synagogue is the most richly decorated of the Josefov synagogues. Built in the Moorish-Byzantine style, the synagogue is covered from floor to ceiling with elaborate geometric patterns in beautiful reds, greens, and golds, and a cupola to top it all. The interior of the synagogue overshadows the exhibit within, which details the history of the Czech Jews from the Jewish Enlightenment to the decades after WWII, and contains an impressive set of silver Torah pointers. The synagogue also hosts classical concerts throughout the year. On the corner of Široká and Dušní. Concerts about 700Kč. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.

Pinkas Synagogue (Pinkasova Synagoga), Široká 23/3 (☎221 711 511), At the time of the Nazi takeover, 118,310 Jews lived in the Prague ghetto, many of them refugees from the conquered territories. While a few managed to flee before the terror began, more than 92,000 remained in Prague. Of these remaining Jews, about 80,000 were deported to their deaths at Terezín or other concentration camps. The names of these victims are recorded on the otherwise bare walls of the nearly 500-year-old Pinkas Synagogue. The names were originally added in the 1950s, but under the Communist regime they were whitewashed as part of ongoing efforts to reframe the victims of the Holocaust as anti-fascists. When Václav Havel was elected president in 1989, his first act was to have the names reinscribed onto the synagogue walls. The second floor contains the haunting drawings of children from their time in Terezín. Between Žatecká and 17. Listopadu Yarmulkes 5Kč. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.

Klausen Synagogue (Klausová Synagoga), U starého hřbitova 243/3a (☎222 317 191), The Klausen Synagogue was originally built in 1573, burned down a while later, rebuilt in 1604, and then reconstructed in the 1880s. The inside is dedicated to the role of the synagogue in Jewish life and exhibit various artifacts. Next door, the Ceremonial Hall, maintained by the Prague Burial Society, showcases an exhibit on disease and death in Judaism. Adjacent to the Cemetery. Wheelchair access.

Maisel Synagogue (Maiselova Synagoga), Maiselova 63/10 (☎221 711 511), Like most old things in Prague, the Maisel Synagogue has been partially destroyed and subsequently rebuilt several times. While originally built in the Renaissance style, the synagogue is now a hodgepodge of Baroque and Gothic elements. It contains artifacts from the history of Jews in Bohemia and Moravia up until the Jewish enlightenment. Some of the more interesting artifacts include the oldest tombstone from the Old Jewish Cemetery, as well as the robes of a 16th-century Jewish martyr who was burned at the stake by the Inquisition. Between Široká and Jáchymova. Wheelchair access.

Old-New Synagogue (Staronová Synagoga), Červená The oldest operating synagogue in Europe and one of the earliest Gothic structures in Prague, the relatively small Old-New Synagogue is still the center of Prague's Jewish community. The usual explanation for its oxymoronic name is that it was called the “New” synagogue when it was built in 1270 and took its present name when newer synagogues were built in the 16th century. However, a rumor persists that the synagogue was built with stones from the Temple in Jerusalem and that the name “Old-New” (Alt-Neu) is a mistranslation of the Hebrew “Al-Tnai,” meaning “on condition”; the stones would be returned when the Temple in Jerusalem was rebuilt. Inside are the remains of a flag flown by the congregation in 1357, when Charles IV first allowed the Jews to fly their own city flag. At the corner of Široká and Žatecká. Men must cover their heads. Yarmulkes free. Open May-Aug M-F and Su 9:30am-6pm. Services F and Sa at 8pm reserved for practicing members of the Jewish community. Wheelchair access.

Statue of Franz Kafka, Dušní The statue of Franz Kafka stands astride an enormous figure that appears to be nothing more than a suit of clothes, as depicted in his story, “Description of a Struggle.” At about 12 ft. tall, the statue is nowhere near the height of many of the city's other notable statues (perhaps fittingly so for this short-story writer), but has earned the attention of tourists and locals alike. At the corner of Žatecká, between the Spanish Synagogue and the Catholic church.

Jewish Town Hall, Židovská radnice, Maiselova 18 Though closed to the public, the Jewish Town Hall is notable, if not for its standard Renaissance architecture, then for its clock tower. The top clock displays the time in standard Roman numerals, while the lower face is marked with Hebrew numerals and ticks counter-clockwise, according to Hebrew convention. Adjacent to the Old-New Synagogue.