Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague
Up to twelve layers of graves lie beneath your feet — three centuries of burials stacked because Jewish law forbids disturbing the dead.
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Active from 1439 to 1787, this is one of the largest surviving Jewish cemeteries in Europe. Space ran out repeatedly, so the community heaped new soil over old graves and buried again on top. The result is a dense, uneven landscape of tilted stones representing a continuous record of Prague's Jewish life. Notable figures interred here include the Maharal, businessman Mordecai Meisel, and historian David Gans.
What to look for
- The oldest gravestone, dated 1439, marking the grave of rabbi and poet Avigdor Kara
- The tomb of the Maharal — Rabbi Jehuda Liva ben Becalel (ca. 1526–1609), the most celebrated figure buried here
- Gravestones at odd angles or visibly raised above ground level, the physical trace of multiple burial layers beneath
Entry is managed by the Jewish Museum in Prague — buy tickets there before visiting.
Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague is one of 36 sights worth the detour in Prague, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Prague pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Prague
- Prague CastleThe Guinness-record largest ancient castle on Earth — and the Czech president still works inside it.
- Charles BridgeCzech legend holds that Charles IV chose his construction start time — 5:31am on 9 July 1357 — because the digits form a palindrome he believed would imbue the bridge with additional strength.
- St. Vitus CathedralOne theory holds that the founding duke may have chosen St. Vitus partly because his name echoes a Slavic sun god — making conversion easier for a populace already devoted to the solar deity Svantevit. Christian and pagan communities shared this hilltop until at least the 11th century.
- Dancing HouseTwo interlocked towers shaped like mid-dance partners, built on a Vltava riverfront plot that sat bombed-out and derelict for decades.
- Prague Astronomical ClockEvery hour, a skeleton marks the time — on a clock mechanism that has been running since 1410.
- National Museum in PragueThe building that closes off Wenceslas Square has anchored Czech protests, rallies, and public life since 1891.