The different buildings under the umbrella of Prague’s Jewish Museum are located close to one another in the Josefov area of the city. The museum is made up of the Old Jewish Cemetery, the Spanish Synagogue, the Maisel Synagogue, the Pinkas Synagogue, the Klausen Synagogue and Ceremonial Hall, the Robert Guttmann Gallery, and the Old-New Synagogue, where religious services are still held. The different sites can be visited on a walking tour with an English-speaking guide to provide additional historical context and information.
The museum has one of the biggest collections of Jewish memorabilia in the world, a fact that reveals a dark history—the Nazis gathered together artifacts from destroyed communities across the Czech Republic with the intention of creating a ""museum of an extinct race"" in Prague. Today, the museum collection is a moving tribute to the terrible struggles the Jews faced in many European countries and includes a memorial to the almost 80,000 Czech citizens killed in the Holocaust.
The Jewish Museum sites are clustered together in the Josefov area of Prague, bordering the river and north of Stare Mesto (Old Town). The metro station Staromestska (Line A) is a short distance away, and the area is walkable from sites in the Old Town. Many people visit the museum as part of a guided tour of the Jewish Quarter.
The museum is open daily from Sunday to Friday, with reduced hours during the winter months. It is closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays year-round. Midmornings are usually the busiest time to visit, so plan to come later in the day for a more peaceful experience.
Shaped like a miniature Eiffel Tower (inspired by Gustave Eiffel’s masterpiece) Petrin Tower is the highest point in Prague and offers panoramic views of the city. Visitors can take a cable car up to Petrin Hill before climbing the 299 steps to the top viewing platform. There’s also an elevator for those less inclined to brave the stairs.
