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!
