Praga - ilivetotravel's travel log

Before my first visit to Prague earlier this year, I had heard a lot about the beauty of the town. Everyone falls in love with Prague. Both banks of the Vltava River are quite picturesque and enjoyable to explore. However, not only until I had begun to research my visit there that I learned about its Jewish Quarter. So, on my first day in Prague, I set out to find it so I could learn more about what happened to the Jewish inhabitants of the city in World War II and pay respect to their memory as I did so…

As one may expect, the Jewish Quarter is in the heart of Old Town Prague on the eastern banks of the river, just south of where it makes an almost 90 degree easterly turn.

History preserved in Prague

The quarter’s history stems from when Jews living in the area were ‘asked’ to move to this area as a way to concentrate them into one quarter. Over the decades and centuries, more Jews arrived and moved into the quarter.

What is fascinating is that the district has survived (for the most part) all these centuries. From what I read, Adolf Hitler on purpose did not destroy the district to serve as a museum to what he thought would be a forgotten people. Wrong. But, because it was not destroyed, the streets and buildings remain in helping the world remember the vast tragedy inflicted upon Jews across Europe.

The general area of the Jewish Quarter constitutes the Jewish Museum in Prague. In other words, the museum is not a building with art or artifacts in it. The Jewish Museum in Prague is all the synagogues, other structures, the cemetery, and contents and exhibits. Worth spending half a day or more to see it all.

Here are some of the places you may want to visit and spend time in during your visit to the Jewish Museum in Prague.

The Old-New Synagogue

The Old-New Synagogue (Staronová Synagoga) is Europe’s oldest active synagogue. It is located across the Jewish Museum and the High Synagogue. Built in the 13th century, it was known as the New Synagogue. Later, many other synagogues were built and perhaps that led to its being called “Old-New”. Entrance is not included in the Jewish Museum entrance though many other places are.

Old-New Synagogue in Prague, Czechia — As seen from the street

The Klausen Synagogue and Ceremonial Hall

The Klausen Synagogue (Klausová Synagoga), Prague’s largest, sits right by the Old Jewish Cemetery of Prague. It was reconstructed in Baroque style around the 1880s on the site of other historic Jewish buildings. Its Ceremonial Hall‘s walls abut the cemetery itself. Both are included in the Jewish Museum entrance and are definitely worthy of visiting. The synagogue has many interesting displays of important artifacts that are definitely worth walking slowly for.

The Ceremonial Hall is quite small and no longer serves its original purpose to honor the deceased; it just houses small exhibits. It is in Romanesque style and was built in the early 20th century to replace an older building.

The Ceremonial Hall in Prague's Jewish Museum as seen from the Old Jewish Cemetery — The Ceremonial Hall as seen from the Old Jewish Cemetery

The Maisel Synagogue

While I did not visit this synagogue, it sounds like an important one to visit. It dates from the 16th century and it is named from the businessman who helped get it built. During WW II, it stored important items of Jewish property. It required a good bit of renovations over the last few decades to be able to keep it open to the public for different exhibits.

Old Jewish Cemetery

The Old Jewish Cemetery, with thousands of tombs, is one of the most poignant spots in the Jewish Museum. It is not that the people buried there died in during the Nazi regime; most date from between the 15th and 18th century. It is simply, to me, how crowded in all these tombs are combined with the tilting tombstones and the encroached space containing them. And that all this survived WW II and Communism. Almost mind-boggling.

The crowded tombs though are not just about how many tombs were fit in a given area. There are in some places up to 12 layers of tombs. That is, as the place filled up, new layers of soil were added so more people could be buried there. Tombstones were moved up as original tombs were buried even further down. Hence why the tombstones are so close together: that means there are multiple tombs in a given vertical dimension. Truly mind-boggling…

The Spanish Synagogue

This ornate synagogue feels different than the others. Its entrance feels “industrial” for someone used to entering places of worship through a front door. But, once you enter the sanctuary (if that’s a proper term for a Jewish synagogue), you forget about that. Its walls are of dark colors with golden patterns decorating them.

Right outside is the statue of Kafka – an interesting tiny sideshow in such a somber area of town.

The Pinkas Synagogue

The Pinkas Synagogue (Pinkasova synagoga) is one of the most moving of all of the sites I visited by a good bit. We approached the ticket office not yet fully knowing what to expect. As we proceeded indoors, we saw the walls inscribed with the names of all the no-longer nameless victims of the brutality of Nazism. Several rooms’ worth of walls inscribed so they are etched in history in a more proper way… It was moving to walk through this modest synagogue to serve witness to the lives so brutally extinguished. Equally moving was seeing the room with drawings made by children in the camps and then to walk outside and read the panels that detail the story of Terezin, a concentration camp north of Prague. Terrible but important history to spend time reading/understanding…

Many reminders of the human lives cut short by evil…

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Traveling is a rewarding experience mainly to all the marvelous sights one gets to enjoy. But, sometimes, it is not about that at all. It is about the somber lessons history holds about the things we should never forget…

The Charles Bridge in Prague deserves every bit of fame it gets for gracing and connecting Prague – a quite unique town itself. The Charles Bridge spans the Vltava River (not the Danube!) and provides ample photo opportunities for selfie-crazed tourists or normal tourists! I got to check it out or walk on it to get places and want to share four tips to visit the Charles Bridge as an excuse to showcase my photos 🙂

A little history of the Charles Bridge in Prague

Construction of the bridge began in the 1300s to replace a prior one and it was finished in 1402. Now THAT is an old bridge! The King that ordered its construction was Charles, hence the name of the bridge, though that name is a relatively recent name actually. For hundreds of years, it was the only way to cross the river other than a boat.

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Old relief carving of the city shows the bridge already crowded!

The bridge is about 600m long and has 16 arches holding it up. It was cool to see the ice breaking structures protecting the pillars though I did not see them “in action” as I went in the spring.

Tips to visit the Charges Bridge – #1 – the statues

My first tip is to not just look at the statues that grace either side of the bridge and snap a photo, but to read about them as you look at them. They are mainly not the original statues but replicas. Now, there are many (perhaps around 32?) so maybe you will not have time or attention span to do that with all of them (I didn’t!) but there is a lot of meaning and stories behind the people. These statues were placed there to convey stories or values, memorialize individuals, and perhaps to add grace to the bridge. Mind them!

One of the many statues on the bridge!

While the statues are the dominant “decoration” of the bridge, there are a few plaques or carvings worth noting (and reading of in advance!).

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Carvingn depicting St. John Nepomuk being thrown off the bridge under orders of King Wenceslas

Tips to visit the Charges Bridge – #2 – the light and time of day

OK, my next tip is that there are many angles for a good photo but which angle is best varies with the time of day as the sun changes position in the sky. I recommend going at different times throughout the day so you can face the sun as you take that priceless group photo or selfie with different sides of the city behind you. And that includes nighttime!

Early in the morning – beautiful angle

Night time looking towards Prague Castle

Tips to visit the Charges Bridge – #3 – the underside

Of course, people spend the time during the visit ON the bridge. But, I ventured a little bit on the Prague Castle side of the bridge in the residential area BELOW the bridge. It was charming (and quiet at that early time of the day). I wonder how the residents cope with the hordes of us tourists all over the area during the day… In any case, you will find the entrance to staircases to take you down right on the bridge, or you can enter the area near the tower on the Prague Castle end of it. Get off the bridge and explore its “underside”!

Right under the bridge

Around the small neighborhood under the bridge

And you never know when you will spot wedding photo sessions!

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Memorial to the 911 NYC firemen who died – unexpected find!

Tips to visit the Charges Bridge – #4 – when to spend time there

My top tip for visiting the Charles Bridge is to go early in the morning, before the city gets crowded with locals and tourists. I am an early riser and while the rest of my group woke up and got ready, since we were staying a block away from the bridge, I went for a walk and almost had the bridge all to myself!