The synagogues of Prague
Seven surviving synagogues, five centuries of style, and one community that never left. Here is what each building is, what you will see inside, and how a guide reads them as a single story rather than seven stops.
Each synagogue at a glance
| Synagogue | Built | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Old-New Synagogue (Staronová synagoga) | c. 1270 | Europe's oldest active synagogue, Gothic twin-nave hall, still holds daily services. Home of the Golem legend. Not part of the Jewish Museum ticket — a separate entry. |
| Spanish Synagogue | 1868 | Moorish Revival interior of gilded arabesques, built on the site of the Altschul. Houses the museum's modern Czech-Jewish history exhibition and hosts concerts. |
| Pinkas Synagogue | 1535 | A memorial: the names of roughly 78,000 Bohemian and Moravian Jewish victims of the Shoah hand-painted on the walls, plus the Terezín children's drawings upstairs. |
| Maisel Synagogue | 1592 | Renaissance foundation, neo-Gothic today. Exhibition on Jewish life in the Bohemian lands from the 10th century to emancipation. |
| Klausen Synagogue | 1694 | The largest Baroque synagogue in Josefov, beside the Old Jewish Cemetery. Exhibition on Jewish customs, festivals and the life cycle. |
| Jubilee (Jerusalem) Synagogue | 1906 | Outside Josefov on Jeruzalémská Street. Art Nouveau meets Moorish design in vivid colour — the most photogenic synagogue in Prague and often the emptiest. |
| High Synagogue | 1568 | Built for the Jewish Town Hall next door; textile and Torah-mantle collection. Visits depend on community access. |
How a guide sequences them
Ticket order is not narrative order. Most licensed Jewish guides begin at the Maisel Synagogue for the medieval and early-modern community, move through the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Klausen Synagogue for customs and burial, then let the Pinkas Synagogue carry the Shoah before ending with the Spanish Synagogue and the return of Jewish life after 1989. The Old-New Synagogue is slotted around service times, since it is a working beit knesset rather than a museum.
Frequently asked questions
- How many synagogues are there in Prague?
- Six historic synagogues stand in Josefov — the Old-New, Spanish, Pinkas, Maisel, Klausen and High synagogues — plus the Jubilee (Jerusalem) Synagogue in the New Town. The Old-New Synagogue and the Jubilee Synagogue are still in regular religious use.
- Which is the oldest synagogue in Prague?
- The Old-New Synagogue, completed around 1270, is the oldest active synagogue in Europe and has held services almost continuously for more than 750 years.
- Do I need a ticket for the Prague synagogues?
- The Jewish Museum in Prague ticket covers the Spanish, Pinkas, Maisel and Klausen synagogues, the Ceremonial Hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery. The Old-New Synagogue requires a separate ticket, and the Jubilee Synagogue is ticketed on its own.
- What should I wear to visit a synagogue in Prague?
- Men cover their heads inside the Old-New Synagogue and at the cemetery; paper kippot are provided. Modest dress — covered shoulders and knees — is appreciated everywhere, and photography is restricted inside several buildings.
- Are the synagogues open on Shabbat?
- The museum sites close on Saturdays and Jewish holidays. The Old-New Synagogue and the Jubilee Synagogue hold services on Shabbat, which visitors may attend respectfully without cameras or phones.
Visiting these buildings with commentary is the Jewish Quarter walking tour. For Shabbat services and meals, see Shabbat in Prague.