Bloomest Laundry Self-service There are launderettes all over the city offering serviced washes and dry cleaning but not so many do a self-service option. In the Old Town (Josefov) area I recommend a place called Bloomest (close to the Spanish Synagogue). I’ve found that the main webpage is only for people interested in opening a … Read More
Jewish Prague – Maisel Synagogue The history of Maisel Synagogue breaks down into 3 periods. 1) Initial 1590 construction in late-Rennaissance style, 2) The 1690s Baroque reconstruction, 3) The 1890s neo-Gothic reconstruction. Maisel Synagogue is probably 4th amongst the synagogues in popularity in the Josefov District but I’ve always had one big reason to visit … Read More
Famous Czechs – Mordecai Maisel Mordecai, Mordechaj or Mordechai, Maisel, Meisel or Meysel. There have been several interpretations of his name so I’m going to stick with Mordecai Maisel (fun fact: in Yiddish, Maisel means mouse). Let’s put ourselves in the last half of the 16th Century. Emperors Maximilian and Rudolf II have been kind … Read More
Prague Streets – 17 Listopadu 17 Listopadu translates as 17th November. It’s an iconic date known by all Czechs so it’s hardly surprising that there will be a story behind it. 17 Listopadu is the road which links Paris Street with Jan Palach Square and runs alongside the Old Jewish Cemetery for almost half it’s … Read More
Paris Street – Rebuilding The Prague Jewish Quarter Before you start this post be sure to read Why the Prague Jewish Ghetto Was Destroyed. That post explained the reasons for the demolition. This post starts in 1887 with the plan for the rebuilding of the Prague Jewish Quarter into what you see today. Of all … Read More
Franz Kafka Monument I’ve written about the sculptor Jaroslav Rona and I’ve written about Franz Kafka so what about a post that links them. People might be confused because there will be references to two different Franz Kafka monuments in Prague. If you are looking for the huge shining Franz Kafka head which rotates then … Read More
The Prague Jewish Ghetto Destruction On this post I’ll seek to give you an overview of the timeline and decisions taken which eventually led to the destruction of the Prague Jewish Ghetto. Before the year 1437 Jewish citizens in Prague could live wherever they wanted and there is ample evidence to show that they had … Read More
The Old Jewish Ceremonial Hall in Prague, there’s more than one! This building in Josefov is strongly linked to something called Chevra Kadisha and I’ll explain more about them below. Both the Old Ceremonial Hall and the adjacent Klausen Synagogue deal with Jewish customs and traditions. The Old Jewish Ceremonial Hall story is described on … Read More
The Prague Golem In Jewish folklore, a Golem is an animated anthropomorphic being that is created entirely from inanimate matter (usually clay or mud). Just before you reach for the dictionary….anthropomorphic means onto which human traits may be observed but is not human. SPOILER ALERT: If you believe in the Old Testament then it’s natural … Read More
Prague Old New Synagogue The Prague Old New Synagogue is one of 6 synagogues in the Josefov district of Prague 1 (only 5 synagogues are publicly accessible). Where you see references to the Old Town it’s because the Old Town completely surrounds Josefov. Here I’ll give you an introduction and a few tips for visiting. … Read More