Old Jewish Cemetery
The extraordinary layered burial ground in Josefov, with ~12,000 leaning headstones crammed over centuries of stacked graves.
The call
Worth it if you're watching the budget and you only have one day.
Short answer
Is Old Jewish Cemetery worth it?
Old Jewish Cemetery deserves a place on most first itineraries.
The answer depends on your budget, time and travel style; the breakdown below shows who gets the most value.
Why
- 01
One of the most affecting and singular sights in Europe — the toppled, overlapping stones rising in waves are unforgettable, and the silence is heavy.
- 02
The catch: it's only enterable via the pricier Jewish Museum ticket, you follow a roped path past the stones (no wandering), and timed-entry queues bunch up.
Is it a fit?
Go if
You're watching the budget
Old Jewish Cemetery earns the spend, even on a tight budget.
You only have one day
Short trip or not, keep Old Jewish Cemetery.
You're traveling as a couple
As a couple, Old Jewish Cemetery is an easy yes.
You're traveling solo
Solo, Old Jewish Cemetery is an easy yes.
Plan it well
- Ticket
- Accessed only via the Jewish Museum's 'Jewish Town' combined ticket (600 CZK adult), along a fixed visitor route.jewishmuseum.cz
- Timing
- At opening to beat timed-entry queues; closed Saturdays and Jewish holidays.
- Booking
- Access is via the combined Jewish Museum ticket along a fixed route.
- Allow
- 30–45 min
- Accessibility
- The cemetery path is uneven; not fully step-free.
- Getting there
- Staroměstská metro (line A), in Josefov.
Consider instead
Sources and method (2)
- In use 1439–1787; contains over 12,000 tombstones with graves stacked up to ten layers deep due to the ghetto's confined space and Jewish burial custom. en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Accessed only via the Jewish Museum's 'Jewish Town' combined ticket (600 CZK adult), along a fixed visitor route. jewishmuseum.cz ↗