Old Jewish Cemetery

Lonely Planet review

Founded in the early 15th century, the Old Jewish Cemetery is Europe's oldest surviving Jewish graveyard. It has a palpable atmosphere of mourning even after two centuries of disuse (it was closed in 1787). Some 12,000 crumbling stones (some brought from other, long-gone cemeteries) are heaped together, but beneath them are perhaps 100,000 graves, piled in layers because of the lack of space.

Most bear the name of the deceased and his or her father, the date of death (and sometimes of burial), and poetic texts. Elaborate markers from the 17th and 18th centuries have bas-reliefs and sculptures, some of it indicating the deceased's occupation and lineage. The oldest standing stone (now replaced by a replica), dating from 1439, is that of Avigdor Karo, a chief rabbi and court poet to Wenceslas IV.

The most prominent graves, marked by pairs of marble tablets with a 'roof' between them, are near the main gate. They include those of Mordechai Maisel and Rabbi Löw. Since the cemetery was closed, burials have taken place at Olšany Cemetery in Žižkov. There are remnants of another old Jewish burial ground at the foot of the TV tower in Žižkov .

You enter the cemetery through the Pinkas Synagogue and exit through a gate between the Klaus Synagogue and the Ceremonial Hall. Remember that this is one of Prague's most popular sights, so if you're hoping to have a moment of quiet contemplation you'll probably be disappointed (try one of the Žižkov cemeteries for a more solitary experience).