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Jewish Cemetery

This cemetery, in the Jewish Quarter, was created in the 15th century when Jews were not allowed to inter their deceased outside of their quarter. Space was scarce, so bodies were buried on top of each other in an estimated 12 layers. There are approximately 100,000 people buried here. It is one of the most astonishing sights in the city. The surrealist author Franz Kafka frequented the old cemetery, which surely influenced his writing.

The Jewish Quarter also has many synagogues. The Old-New Synagogue, Europe’s oldest working synagogue, dates back to 1270 and still holds Jewish services. It is open for visitors every day except Saturdays and Jewish holidays.

Pinkas Synagogue, founded in 1479, is now a memorial to Holocaust victims. Names of the 77,297 Jewish Czechoslovaks who died in the Holocaust are painted on its walls, and the synagogue also contains paintings and drawings by children in the Terezin concentration camp.