Old New Synagogue

The oldest working synagogue in Europe, built around 1270

Area Josefov
Type Church
Time needed 40m

The Old New Synagogue in Josefov was built around 1270 and is the oldest synagogue in Europe still in regular use for worship. It is a small, high, early Gothic hall with two naves, an unusual five-ribbed vault, and a brick gable added later. It is also the building the Golem legend attaches to, which is why a great many visitors come looking for the attic.

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Getting there

Metro line A (green) to Staroměstská, then five minutes on foot north-east along Kaprova and into Červená. Trams 2, 17 and 18 also stop at Staroměstská. From the Old Town Square it is a seven to ten minute walk north, past the Jewish Town Hall. The streets are flat; there are a few steps down into the prayer hall itself, because the floor sits below the present street level.

What you see

You step down into the hall and the proportions do the work: a narrow space, two columns down the middle, and the five-rib vaults springing from them. The iron grille of the almemar, the raised reading platform, stands between the columns, and the medieval tympanum over the ark doorway carries vine carving. Look for the banner hanging high in the nave, a Jewish community standard of a kind granted in the seventeenth century. Along the sides are low annexes with narrow slits into the main hall, built so that women could hear the service. Benches around the walls carry the seat numbers of the congregation, including one traditionally left unoccupied. The attic, where the Golem is supposed to lie, is not accessible, and there is nothing to see of it.

What to pair it with

The Old Jewish Cemetery and the Pinkas Synagogue are a two minute walk and are normally seen in the same visit. The Spanish Synagogue is five minutes east, and the Old Town Square is ten minutes south.

When to go

Go first thing. Josefov is compact and the whole quarter congests by mid-morning, and the hall is small enough that twenty people in it feels full. Both this synagogue and the museum sites close on Saturdays and on Jewish holidays, so plan the Jewish Quarter for another day of the week; hours are also shorter in winter. Weekday mornings early in the week are the calmest.

What is hard about it

Ticketing is the thing to get right. The other synagogues and the cemetery are normally sold together as a Jewish Museum circuit, while the Old New Synagogue, which is a working synagogue and not a museum site, is usually ticketed separately or as a combined option — check what your ticket actually covers before you buy. Men are asked to cover their heads, and paper coverings are provided. The hall is dark, plain and genuinely small, and visitors expecting something ornate after seeing photographs of the Spanish Synagogue are often deflated. Photography inside is restricted. There are steps down at the entrance and no lift.

Common questions

How long do you need at the Old New Synagogue?

Thirty to forty minutes is enough, and that includes sitting for a few minutes to take in the vault.

Is it included in the Jewish Museum ticket?

Not usually. It is normally a separate ticket, or an add-on to the museum circuit, so check at the ticket office before paying.

Can you see the attic where the Golem is said to be?

No. There is no visitor access to the attic, and the external stair is closed off.