High Synagogue

Why go

The building makes more sense when viewed alongside the Town Hall than as an isolated stop. Mordechai Maisel supported both in the sixteenth century, giving the Jewish quarter civic and religious spaces side by side. Its name points to the prayer room's first-floor position, which you can understand from the street even without entering.

What to look for

• The synagogue sits immediately beside the Jewish Town Hall.
• Its prayer room occupies the upper floor rather than a ground-floor hall.

The full story

Mordechai Maisel financed the High Synagogue and neighboring Jewish Town Hall in the sixteenth century. Their close relationship helps explain why this part of Josefov reads as a civic center as well as a cluster of religious buildings. The synagogue suffered in the great fire of 1689 and was rebuilt; later alterations changed its entrance and simplified the façade. It has also served different functions, including an exhibition space during the twentieth century. Today it is used as a community prayer room. From the street, the most useful observation is its upper-floor position beside the Town Hall, rather than an expectation of a museum interior. The street view rewards a closer look at how a discreet prayer room was fitted into the dense built fabric of Josefov.

Useful to know

• Treat this as a brief exterior stop; the synagogue is not publicly open for ordinary visits.
• Pair the view with the Town Hall's Hebrew clock and nearby Old-New Synagogue.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.