Dark sights in Prague
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Jewish Cemetery
Franz Kafka is buried in this cemetery, which opened around 1890 when the older Jewish cemetery – now at the foot of the TV Tower – was closed. To find Kafka’s grave, follow the main avenue east (signposted), turn right at row 21, then left at the wall; it’s at the end of the ‘block’. Fans make a pilgrimage on 3 June, the anniversary of his death. The entrance is beside Želivského metro station; men should cover their heads (yarmulkes are available at the gate). Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.
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Vyšehrad Cemetery
For Czechs, the Vyšehrad Cemetery is Vyšehrad hill’s main attraction. In the late 19th century the parish graveyard was made into a memorial cemetery for famous figures of Czech culture, with a graceful, neo-Renaissance arcade running along the northern and western sides. For the real heroes, an elaborate pantheon called the Slavín (loosely, ‘Hall of Fame’), designed by Antonín Wiehl, was added at the eastern end in 1894; its 50-odd occupants include painter Alfons Mucha, sculptor Josef Myslbek and architect Josef Gočár. The motto reads Ač Zemeřeli Ještě Mluví (Though dead, they still speak). The 600 or so graves in the rest of the cemetery include those …
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C
Olšany Cemetery
Huge and atmospheric, Prague’s main burial ground was founded in 1680 to handle the increased deaths during a plague epidemic; the oldest stones can be found in the northwestern corner, near the 17th-century Chapel of St Roch (kaple sv Rocha). There are several entrances to the cemetery running along Vinohradská, east of Flora metro station, and also beside the chapel on Olšanská. Jan Palach, the student who set himself on fire on the steps of the National Museum in January 1969 to protest the Soviet invasion, is buried here. To find his grave, enter the main gate (flanked by flower shops) on Vinohradská and turn right – it’s about 50m along on the left of the path.…
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Old Jewish Cemetery
The Old Jewish Cemetery is Europe’s oldest surviving Jewish graveyard. Founded in the early 15th century, it has a palpable atmosphere of mourning even after two centuries of disuse (it was closed in 1787); however, 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. Around 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. It's one of the six Jewish monuments that make up the Prague Jewish Museum.
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