Praguecity of many spires

With six historic sites in Old Town, the sprawling Jewish Museum is a must-see that can take up most of a full day. The main draw is the Old Jewish Cemetery, the final resting place for as many as 100,000 residents of the city’s former ghetto, including the great Rabbi Löw (known as the Maharal of Prague), Mordechai Maisel, David Gans, David Oppenheim and other rabbis, teachers, philosophers, scholars and scientists. Although the cemetery is clearly more than 650 years old—the earliest tombstone, that of the Hebrew poet Avigdor Kara, dates from 1439—some have argued that earlier graves might go back another several hundred years. In addition to the crumbling, ivy-covered tombstones, check out the touching exhibitions on local Jewish life in the Ceremonial Hall, as well as the nearby Maisel, Klausen, Pinkas and Spanish synagogues—a testament to a once-vibrant part of Prague’s cultural tapestry.