Old-New Synagogue
Old-New Synagogue is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Prague audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~30 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type religious
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Prague Prague guide
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About Old-New Synagogue
Completed around 1270, this steep-gabled hall is Europe's oldest synagogue still in active use and the oldest surviving twin-nave medieval synagogue, famous in legend as the Golem's resting place.
The Old-New Synagogue is the oldest surviving monument of Prague's Jewish Town and one of the earliest Gothic buildings in the city, completed around 1270. Its twin-nave hall, divided by two octagonal pillars into six vaulted bays and lit by a narrow band of high windows, is the oldest surviving synagogue of its kind in Europe. It is also the oldest synagogue on the continent still in continuous religious use; services ceased only during the Nazi occupation of 1942 to 1945 before resuming.
The building was first known simply as the New or Great Shul and became “Old-New” only after later synagogues were built nearby. Folk tradition ties its name to a Hebrew phrase meaning “on condition” and places the clay Golem of Rabbi Judah Loew in its sealed attic, but both belong to legend rather than documented history. The synagogue remains an active house of prayer today.
Did you know? The synagogue was not always “old”: it began simply as the New Shul, and only earned its paradoxical name once younger houses of prayer sprang up around it centuries later.
How long should you spend at Old-New Synagogue?
Plan about ~30 min at Old-New Synagogue. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Old-New Synagogue worth visiting?
Old-New Synagogue is one of the 35 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Prague, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Prague
Sources and further reading
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Hear the story of Old-New Synagogue
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