t Opulent geometrical-styled interior of the Spanish Synagogue
t Opulent geometrical-styled interior of the Spanish Synagogue
Experience Josefov and Northern Staré Město
Encircled by the Old Town and the river, the former Jewish quarter of Josefov is a fascinating part of Prague’s city centre with a story all of its own. This chapter also includes the northern edge of the Old Town which runs seamlessly to Josefov.
In the Middle Ages, Prague’s Jews were confined in an enclosed ghetto. The area was “sanitized” in the late 19th century with only the synagogues and a couple of other buildings left. Some Jews moved out and the rest fell victim to the Holocaust leaving a Jewish quarter without Jews. Now the area is home to the Jewish Museum, one of the highlights of any visit to the Czech capital. This includes the Old Jewish Cemetery, one of the most atmospheric in Europe with several levels of tombs stacked one on top of the other. Also here is the Old-New Synagogue, famous for its association with the Golem story.