Old-New Synagogue

Built in 1270, Europe’s oldest active synagogue holds years of fascinating Jewish history.

TravelCurious Tip

Look out for the ancient red flag above the bimah, featuring the Star of David. In 1357 Charles IV, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, allowed the Jews of Prague to have their own city flag.

Good things come in twelves

Originally called the New Synagogue, this holy place received its double moniker after other synagogues were built in Prague in the 16th century. It has survived nearly 750 years of turbulent history, and stands today in Prague’s Jewish Quarter as a powerful symbol of its ancient community.

The synagogue’s Gothic design is simple, elegant and deeply symbolic. As well as the oldest active synagogue in Europe, it is also the oldest with a double-nave design: its six vaulted bays each have two narrow lancet windows, totalling twelve in representation of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Above the entrance is a carved design of twelve vines with twelve bunches of grapes, again symbolising the Tribes. Two central pillars surround the bimah, from which the Torah is read: the bimah’s base also incorporates the twelve vines.


Home of Golem

One legend surrounding the synagogue’s origins is that its stones were transported by angels from the Second Temple of Jerusalem, which was demolished in 70 AD - on the condition that they be returned on the Messiah’s arrival, when a new temple is to be built there.

Even more famous, however, is the legend of the Golem of Prague. The Golem was an artificial man or ‘robot,’ a monster made of clay by Rabbi Jehud Loew ben Bezalel in the 16th century. The Rabbi created the Golem to defend Prague from antisemitic attacks; it required no rest or sustenance, only the removal of the shem, a tablet bearing a Hebrew inscription placed in its mouth, on Shabbat. One day he forgot to remove the shem, and the Golem went on a rampage; the Rabbi removed the shem, and immobilized the Golem forever. The synagogue’s genizah, a storage place in the attic - which is not accessible to the general public - is reported to hold the Golem’s remains.

Nearby Attractions

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Jewish Quarter
Formerly the Jewish Ghetto, this historic enclave is surrounded by the Old Town.
Hebrew clock
This was the civil center of the old Jewish ghetto of Prague
Jewish Museum
One of Europe's oldest museums of Jewish culture and heritage, comprising six distinct sites.
Old Jewish Cemetery Prague
The Old Jewish Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery in Prague, Czech Republic, which is one of the largest of its kind in Europe
Spanish Synagogue Prague
The Spanish Synagogue is the newest synagogue in the area of the so-called Jewish Town
Parizska Street
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Related Tours

Prague In a Day: Private Full-Day Walking Tour with Prague Castle
Discover the best of Medieval and modern Prague on this full-day private walking tour of the city’s most iconic sites including tickets and a guided tour of the fairytale castle, and a relaxing scenic river cruise along the Vltava at the end of the day. 

On your private tour your will:

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Prague is the beautiful, fairytale capital city of the Czech Republic, famous for its medieval gothic architecture, colourful baroque buildings, spectacular royal castle, and the River Vltava running through its city centre – the longest river in Bohemia and the lifeblood of the city. 

Nicknamed the ‘City of a Hundred Spires’ for its breathtaking beauty, on your day-long private walking tour of Prague, you will explore the city’s iconic highlights, including a fully guided tour of the splendid medieval castle, a UNESCO world heritage site, including St George’s Basilica, and St Vitus Cathedral - with the changing of the guard ceremony in the morning. 

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Your guide will regale you with stories of the rogues and royals of the past, the development of Gothic architecture, the emergence of Art Nouveau and the history of the Jewish community in this fascinating and beautiful city. 

At the end of your walking tour, your guide will take you to the river for your relaxing, scenic cruise along the mighty Vltava. 
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On your private half-day tour, you will: 

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Your tour will include visits to the numerous synagogues open to the public, including Europe’s oldest working Jewish Temple- the Old-New Synagogue. Completed around 1270, the Old-New Synagogue is one of Prague’s earliest Gothic buildings and one of its most beautiful. You have to step down into it because it predates the raising of Staré Město’s street level in the medieval period, to guard against floods. 

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Throughout your tour, you will gain a greater appreciation of the struggles the Jewish community has faced in Central Europe and will understand how in the 19th century, Jewish hardship would eventually become woven into the intellectual movement of Prague. 

It is no surprise that authors native to Prague, including Franz Kafka, would become inspired by prevailing themes of suffering and hardship. Hopefully, by the end of this tour, you will feel better acquainted with the rich and complex history of the Jewish community in Europe, as well as with the fascinating forces behind Prague’s exciting cultural scene.

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On your private tour, your guide will tell you the stories of the Jewish community, which date back at least six centuries, and you’ll learn how the Jewish experience became interwoven with Prague’s intellectual movement, which you will learn about through the stories of authors like Franz Kafka. 

On your tour, you will not only see all the highlights of the district but also some lesser-known sites, like the clock which runs backwards! 
Prague's Jewish Heritage Live Virtual Tour
Discover Prague’s Jewish Heritage on this Live Virtual Tour and learn about the history that dates back to the 13th century when Jewish people were ordered to vacate their disparate homes and forced to settle in this one area. On this live virtual tour, you will :

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Your guide will virtually take you on a stroll through Prague's Jewish Quarter,  located between the Old Town Square and the Vltava River, where you will hear the history of the Jewish Community in Bohemia and Moravia. 

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You'll learn this and more during Prague's Jewish Heritage Live Virtual Tour.
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