Prague in a Weekend - Part II, Prague, Czech Republic

My first day in Prague visiting the Old Town, Prague Castle and the quarter of Nové Město had been quite prolific, but the Czech capital would still provide me with many surprises. During my second day, I continued exploring the Jewish Quarter of Josefov, Charles Bridge and the modern New Town or Nové Město.

I decided to start my second day in Prague by visiting the Jewish Quarter. Since the previous day was a Saturday, most of the monuments were closed for Shabbat, so I kept most of the day to explore this area, also known as Josefov.

The Jewish community settled in Prague back in the 10th century, but the Jewish Quarter as we know it today dates from the 13th century, when Jewish people had to leave their previous homes scattered around the city and settled in this area.

The community kept growing over the centuries, especially when Jews from other countries, mainly from Germany, Austria and Spain moved to Prague, overcrowding the Jewish Quarter, as they were not allowed to live elsewhere in the city.

In spite of the multiple reforms made to this quarter in the 1800s and the occupation of the Nazis in the 20th century, many historical buildings were preserved, serving as a testimony of the fascinating Jewish history of the city. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).