Jewish Quarter

This area was razed in the late 1800s because of health hazards, but some important landmarks still remain.  The neighborhood is much quieter than Old Town and feels much more authentic than other more touristy areas.  It also has the highest concentration of Art Nouveau buildings in the newer area of the neighborhood bordering Old Town.

The Old Jewish Cemetery is one of the oldest and most crowded and disorganized  cemeteries we have ever seen, which makes it more fascinating.  Of note is the tombstone of Rabbi Löw, where visitors place pebbles next to his grave as a sign of respect.  The cemetery is surrounded by the Pinkas Synagogue, the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Klausen Synagogue.

Just around the corner is the Maisel Synagogue, the Jewish Town Hall (check out the counter-clockwise clock), the High Synagogue, the Old-New Synagogue with its oddly-crenellated gable and the even stranger-looking Cubist Houses that were built in the early 1900s.

The Old-New Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in Europe.  Be sure to check out the entrance portal, five-rib vaulting supporting the interior structure, the Jewish Standard, the wrought-iron grille on the cantor’s platform, the Ark, Rabbi Löw’s chair and the right-hand nave with its funky chandeliers.

Deep in the neighborhood lies St. Agnes’s Convent, which is now used by the National Gallery to display 19^th century Czech art.  We found a local eatery here that served cheap beers and slices of ham with whipped cream rolled up inside them.  I couldn’t stomach it, but somehow it disappeared.