Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
- Old Jewish Cemetery
- Old New Synagogue
- Holocaust Memorial (Pinkas Synagogue)
- Spanish Synagogue
Photos & Highlights
- Get an in-depth exploration of Jewish history in Prague
- Led by a local scholar or historian
Select a date
Tour Description
From medieval beginnings through the era of the Emperors to struggles and triumphs in the 20th century, the history of Prague’s Jewish community is a unique part of a wider European and global mosaic of Judaism. In this 3-hour Jewish Prague tour in the company of a local historian, we’ll explore the Jewish Ghetto of Prague and visit key Jewish heritage sites, including the Old-New Synagogue and the Jewish Cemetery.
Jewish Prague Tour
Jews have settled in Prague since the 10th century and by the 12th century had formed their community near the very heart of the Old Town, along main merchant roads that wind up to the Prague Castle. This location of the Jewish Ghetto remained more or less the same until the 20th century, when it lost its medieval look and was infused with its current Art Nouveau charm. On our walking tour of Jewish Prague, we’ll spend time exploring the many synagogues that remain open to the public, including the Old-New Synagogue, which is the oldest remaining synagogue in Europe. The Jewish Cemetery, which dates back to the 15th century, presents the unique opportunity to discuss Jewish burial customs and rituals, while the Jewish Town Hall gives space to explore the flourishing of the Jewish community during the Renaissance. We’ll also hear traditional Czech legends that intertwine with a significant Jewish figure, Rabbi Jehuda Löw, whose lasting legacy has become intertwined with the myth of the Golem.
One City, Three Cultural Forces
In the development of the Jewish community in Prague, there is a pattern common to other European cities: isolation, slow gaining of privileges and rights and their subsequent loss, threats of pogroms, and gradual assimilation and emancipation during the Enlightenment. Beginning in the 19th century, the Ghetto became a literary theme not only for Jewish writers, but for German and Czech writers as well (for more, see our Prague Cafe Tour). At this point, Prague’s unique atmosphere of three interwoven cultures (Czech, German, and Jewish) became a defining feature of the city that distinguished it from other cities. This intersection of cultures is personified in several famous figures, with Franz Kafka being the best-known.
At the end of our walk, we’ll have traced the ancient roots of the Jewish community in Prague together, using remarkably preserved historical sites as our waypoints and hearing long-ago stories of the people who once gazed up at these same buildings and walked these same streets.
For more on 20th-century Prague, see our Prague Communism tour. For a more general introduction to Prague, try our Introductory Prague walking tour.
FAQ
Do we go inside any of the venues? Yes, we will go inside the Old-New Synagogue and several other smaller synagogues, which now belong to the Jewish Museum and house various exhibitions. Typically, we include the Jewish Cemetery and the Holocaust Memorial inside the Pinkas Synagogue; additional sites can vary.
Do we need tickets? You are prepaid for the tour and for your entrance fees at the Jewish Museum and the Old-New Synagogue.
Where do we meet? You'll meet in the area near Old Town Square. Your confirmation email will have the exact meeting point and a map.
Where You'll Start
–
229 Reviews
Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
Lenka was a wonderful guide. I wish I had known before the tour that the Spanish synagogue was closed for renovations.
Kim
Reviewed on:
Jun 14, 2019
It was our fault that we were a tad late in meeting Hana --we were on the wrong side of a building. At the last minute, as your office may recall, another couple joined us. (I think we'd have been better off on our own.) As we started our tour in the center of Prague, there was a lot of traffic and noise, and it was hard for some of us to hear Hana. We asked to move away from the area. Hana didn't seem to understand it was a hearing issue and may have been impatient with us at the beginning. She had her schedule and the programmed information to share along the way. Often if someone had a question, Hana either said she'd get back to that later in the tour or she didn't answer the actual question. I was fortunate to be walking next to her quite often and could rephrase a question she perhaps didn't understand. By the end of the tour (we could have used more time), I think Hana was unsettled by others in our group and concerned about her evaluation. Hana is VERY knowledgeable about the country's history as well as the Jewish area, and I enjoyed her sharing so much with us. When time "ran out" she gave us the tickets to the other museum to use on our own. Perhaps the tour was a little ambitious time-wise to cover ground and information. Quite frankly, I think my husband and I were spoiled by the exceptional, friendly, professional guides we had in Dublin and Budapest. Our travel agent suggested Context, and based on other experiences, we will continue to use your company whenever we can.
Joyce
Reviewed on:
Jun 10, 2019
Outstanding Guide!!!
But Context Travel has major flaws in their business proceds.
Michael
Reviewed on:
Jun 3, 2019
