The New Jewish Cemetery holds up to 100,000 graves; its elegant plan and monumental tombs contrast with poignant reminders of World War II, including a memorial wall inscribed with the names of Holocaust victims. The cemetery is the final resting place of writer Franz Kafka’; admirers still make a pilgrimage to his tomb each year for the June 3 anniversary of his death. Many Prague Jewish history and culture tours stop at this significant cemetery, alongside the Josefov District and Old Jewish Cemetery.
Though the New Jewish Cemetery is open to the public, it is an active cemetery where burials still take place and loved ones come to pay their respects. Maintain a respectful distance and keep noise to a minimum.
The shaded walking paths are ideal for a quiet break from sightseeing in the busy city center and there is no charge to enter.
Photography is permitted, but take care not to disturb mourners or other visitors. Do not step over or sit on the gravestones.
Eating and drinking are not permitted inside the cemetery.
Maps are available at the entrance gates, as are yarmulkes (skullcap) for men to cover their heads.
The gravel and paved paths are accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.
The New Jewish cemetery is located in the Olšany district along the metro line A (Želivského stop) between Želivského and Nad Vodovodem Streets, about a 30-minute trip by metro or bus. You can also visit the museum as part of a Jewish culture and history tour of Prague that includes transportation around the city.
The cemetery is closed from the early afternoon on Friday through Sunday morning and on Jewish holidays, so check the calendar before making the trip to Olšany. The mausoleums and gravesites are all outdoors and there is no visitor center, so choose a clear, mild day to visit.
Among the many lavish family tombs, a few stand out for their architecture and decoration. Two of the most striking are the Petschek and the Waldes burial plots in the eastern part; the latter is decorated with two relief busts by Josef Václav Myslbek. The 1985 Memorial of Czechoslovak Jews who died in the Holocaust is the work of sculptor Zdeněk Vodička and architect Vladimír Stehlík. The grave of writer Franz Kafka and his parents is the work of architect Leopold Ehrmann.
