Jewish Quarter

Formerly the Jewish Ghetto, this historic enclave is surrounded by the Old Town.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in Prague
Old-New Synagogue
Built in 1270, Europe’s oldest active synagogue holds years of fascinating Jewish history.
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
Expensive and exclusive, Parizska is the ultimate luxurious shopping destination.

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:

  •  Discover the fairytale magic of Prague Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to some of the Czech Republic's greatest artistic and cultural treasures;
  •  Explore the rooms of the Old Royal Palace, including the opulent Vladislav Hall;
  • Hear the stories of Prague’s kings and queens, emperors and saints – in particular the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV;
  • Step inside the resplendent St. George’s Basilica and magnificent St. Vitus Cathedral and see the famous chapel and tomb of Saint Wenceslas – prince and patron saint of Bohemia, assassinated by his own brother in the early middles ages!;
  • Walk along Golden Lane and experience what daily life was like within the castle walls;
  • Enjoy watching the ceremony of the changing of the guard;
  • Exit the castle, walk by Nerudova and the famous John Lennon Wall before crossing Charles Bridge, and take a well-earned lunch break at a delicious local eatery;
  • Spend the afternoon exploring the rest of beautiful Prague, beginning with the historic Jewish Quarter, highlights include the Maisel Synagogue and the Hebrew Clock;
  • See Wenceslas Square, the Old-New Synagogue, and Jerusalem Synagogue;
  • Visit the Old Town Square and see the amazing Astronomical Clock and the Powder Tower;
  • Learn all about the Art Nouveau scene in Prague;
  •  End the tour at the dock where your guide will drop you off for your beautiful river cruise ride.


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.

After a delicious local lunch, you’ll explore the Old Town, Jewish Quarter and famous monuments – both old and new – including the John Lennon Wall and the astounding medieval Astronomical Clock dating to the 1400s.

You’ll walk through Wenceslas Square, across the old Charles Bridge built in 1402 and lined with Catholic saints, and marvel at the famous Jewish places of worship, including the Maisel, Jerusalem and Old-New Synagogues and the Hebrew Clock.

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. 

Jewish Heritage in Prague: Private Half-Day Walking Tour

Explore the long and fascinating history of Jewish people in Prague, dating from the tenth century, through the atrocities of World War II, up to the present day. Located in the heart of Prague’s Old Town, the Jewish Ghetto is a truly eye-opening journey into the heart of medieval European history and you will hear it all on this Jewish Heritage tour.

On your private half-day tour, you will: 

  • Hear about the story of the Jewish community in Prague;
  • Discover one of the largest collections of Judaica in the world in the Jewish Museum;
  • Walk down Maiselova, the main street of the walled Jewish quarter;
  • Pass by Franz Kafka's native house, Prague's most famous author;
  • Visit the most important synagogues in Prague, Old - New Synagogue and Pinkas Synagogue;
  • Visit the famed old Jewish cemetery, one of the largest of its kind in Europe, where the oldest grave dates back to 1439;
  • Hear about the Prague Burial Society and Jewish ceremonies and practices around death and burial as you pass by the Ceremonial Hall;
  • See the Hebrew Clock that runs counterclockwise;
  • End the tour with a visit to the Spanish Synagogue.


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.

You will also pay a visit to the Old Jewish Cemetery, which dates from the 15th century and offers a unique opportunity to gain a greater insight into the customs and burial rituals of medieval times. Furthermore, you will learn that as many as 100,000 bodies are buried in the cemetery, despite there only being 12,000 visible tombstones!

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.

Visit Prague's Jewish Quarter, which dates back several centuries, on a private walking tour with a guide. Your tour includes tickets to five ticketed attractions, including the Old Jewish Cemetery, the Old-New Synagogue, and the Spanish Synagogue.


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 in the Communist Era: Private Half-Day Walking Tour

Discover the shrouded corners, monuments, and memorials of Prague’s Communist era, as you learn the twentieth-century history of this incredible city – including the run-up to WW2, the Nazi Occupation, the city’s liberation by the Red Army, and what life was like under Soviet rule behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ for over forty years, before the fall of Communism in 1989.

On your private tour you will:

  • See the Prague Metronome across the river - built on the site where a statue of Stalin used to loom over the city, a permanent reminder of the time the city spent under Communist rule;
  • Walk through the historic Jewish Quarter and hear about the increased persecution of the Jews under Communist rule;
  • Explore the Old and New Town and learn about the rebellious and subversive counterculture that emerged under Communism;
  • Pass by the building of the Na Perštýně, home to the Secret Police Agency, and learn about the surveillance techniques used by the feared StB – the Czech Secret Police;
  • See other key Communist-era buildings, monuments and memorials;
  •  View the Powder Tower, where Czechoslovakia was formed, and learn about the country’s complex historical politics at the Municipal House – a famous Art Nouveau building and civic centre;
  • Enjoy a guided visit to the Communist Museum – dedicated to the history of the regime in Prague and life behind the Iron Curtain for many millions of people after the Second World War;
  • Visit Wenceslas Square, famous for being the focal point of rallies, and protests against the regime, and where crowds gathered for the triumphant fall of Communism in 1989;
  • Finish your tour at Petřín hill to see the Memorial to the Victims of Communism, a series of statues commemorating the victims of the communist era.

Today, Prague is one of Europe’s most visited cities – known as the ‘city of the hundred spires’ it is famous for the beauty of its Medieval and Baroque architecture and is a thriving modern metropolis.

But Prague under communism was a scary place, and the city does not shy away from memorializing this dark era of its past, nor honouring those who suffered under the Soviet regime. From the memorials to the Jews persecuted by first the Nazis then the Communists in the Jewish Quarter, to monuments dedicated to the heroism of everyday people who courageously stood up to the regime, modern Prague does not forget its Communist past.

On your private tour, you will learn about the interrogation of ordinary working-class citizens by the Secret Police, and the oppression of any so-called enemies of the state. Learn how Prague’s intelligentsia was forced into menial jobs and dissidents tortured for subversion.

See Prague’s most prominent Art Nouveau building, Municipal House, where Czechoslovakia as an independent republican state was proclaimed in 1918 and learn about the complex political history of the country.

Pause by a simple bronze cross paying homage to Jan Palach and Jan Zajíc. Palach set himself on fire in protest, making headline global news - a story that intensified when fellow student Jan Zajíc also set himself ablaze.

Head to Wenceslas Square, the city’s focal point for rallies and political protests and where the crowds gathered to celebrate the emotional end to Communism with the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. End your tour at the incredibly moving Memorial to the victims of the communist era on Petřín hill.

Fascinating, and at times harrowing, this fully immersive experience provides a rich historical and social context of Prague and the Communist era throughout Europe.

x

Guides

Join the fastest growing community of professional tour guides.

Partners

Use our easy to integrate toolset to include Tours & Attractions in your customer journey.