Prague Synagogues and Jewish Quarter Private Walking Tour

The Astronomical Clock is one of the main landmarks of Prague. After meeting with our tour guide right under the Clock, you will enter the Jewish Quarter - Josefov.

Josefov, the Jewish Quarter in Prague, is one of the most important Jewish sights in the world because it was not destroyed during the second world war. The Jewish Museum comprises an old Jewish cemetery and several synagogues featuring different aspects of the Jewish heritage: traditions, art, history, etc.

The Maisel synagogue was built in 1592 and it is named after its founder, a philanthropist Mordecai Maisel, who served as the mayor of the Jewish town, sponsored many Jewish organizations, funded the building of a public bathhouse, ritual baths and an almshouse, and donated money to build the Jewish town hall and numerous synagogues.

The Pinkas Synagogue from 1535 is part of the Jewish Museum and serves as a memorial to the nearly 80,000 Jewish victims of holocaust from the Czech lands.

The Old Jewish Cemetery is one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe and one of the world's surviving ancient Jewish burial grounds operating from the 15th century to the late 18th century. Approximately 80.000 residents of the ghetto in Prague were buried in its confines. Since the cemetery could not hold that amount, the tombs are layered on top of each other, at one section reaching 12 layers. Among the prominent local personalities buried here is 16th-century rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel. He’s best known for creating a golem or mud figure, which he reportedly summoned to life to seek protection for the local Jewish community against anti-Semitic attacks.

The Klausen synagogue is the biggest synagogue in the Prague Jewish Town. "Klausen" was originally the name given to three smaller buildings from the 16th century that used to be on this site. These buildings included a yeshivah (Talmudic school) that was founded by the famous Rabbi Loew. After the ghetto fire of 1689, the Klausen Synagogue was erected on the site in 1694, in the early Baroque style.

Franz Kafka attended services here. Legend says that Golem, that artificial being made of clay during the 16th century, is hidden in the attic. Built in Gothic Cistercian style during the latter part of the 13th century, the Old-New Synagogue is the oldest building in the Jewish Town and one of Europe’s oldest synagogues still in use. It has been the main synagogue of the Prague Jewish community for more than 700 years.

The Spanish Synagogue is the most recent synagogue in the Prague Jewish Town. Built in 1868 for the local Reform congregation on the site of the 12th-century Altschul, which was the oldest synagogue in the Prague ghetto. It was called the Spanish Synagogue for its impressive Moorish interior design, influenced by the famous Alhambra.

The tour is planned for 2.5 hours, but we can offer you an extra 30 minutes in case of queues at the synagogues due to security measures. You can use this extra time to spend more time in the synagogues or to explore the Old Town and Charles Bridge. As this is a private tour, our guide will tailor the itinerary according to your wishes.