Old New Synagogue
Nine steps lead from the street into a vestibule of a synagogue that has been in continuous use since 1270.
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Europe's oldest active synagogue and one of Prague's earliest Gothic buildings, completed in 1270. The name carries a legend: according to tradition, angels brought stones from the Temple in Jerusalem "on condition" they be returned when the Messiah comes — making the building, in a sense, borrowed.
What to look for
- The tympanum above the entrance door, carved with twelve vines and twelve bunches of grapes representing the twelve tribes of Israel
- The vaulting over each of the six bays: five ribs instead of the standard four or six, reportedly to avoid any resemblance to a Christian cross
- Twelve narrow Gothic windows running along the sides of the double nave — the number again keyed to the twelve tribes
An Orthodox congregation still worships here, so dress modestly and check for closures around Jewish holidays before visiting.
Old New Synagogue 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.