Built over two years in the late 16th century, the Maisel Synagogue was funded by Mordechai Maisel, the mayor of the Prague Jewish Quarter. He had such immense influence that it was equal to that of Emperor Rudolph II, who granted him the privilege of building his private prayer hall, the Maisel Synagogue as we know it.

Found right at the heart of Prague, the building stands out with its neo-Gothic design. It was originally built as a three-nave Renaissance building, although it was destroyed in a great fire. Of its 20 original pillars that existed, only 14 were eventually erected, and the main nave was restored with a semicircular vault. Here’s a fascinating piece of history: the synagogue was used to store items of importance to the Jewish communities during World War II, after which the synagogue was converted to a museum, displaying the course of Jewish history in Bohemia and Moravia, all the way from the 10th century to the age of Enlightenment. You will certainly marvel at the rare collection housed in the synagogue, including looks into old Hebrew manuscripts and historical maps of Jewish settlements. So what are you waiting for?