Josefov (Jewish Quarter)

Start: Lesser Square (Malé námestí).

Finish: Café Bar La Dolce Vita.

Time: Allow approximately 2 hours, not including rest stops or museum visits.

Best Times: Sunday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, when the cemetery and sights are open.

Worst Time: Saturday, the Sabbath, when everything is closed.

Josefov, Prague's former Jewish ghetto, lies within Staré Mesto. The wall that once surrounded the ghetto was almost entirely destroyed to make way for 19th-century structures. Prague is considered one of Europe's great Jewish cities: Jews have been here since the end of the 10th century, and by 1708 more Jews were living here than anywhere else in Europe.

Today, Prague's Jewish community numbers less than 3,000. In 1992, the Jewish community elected Rabbi Karol Sidon as their leader, and he has led a very public fight against anti-Semitism as reported incidents of attacks against Jews and Jewish property have increased. In addition, the government has recently tried to return to Jewish citizens property confiscated by the Nazis and then the Communists. However, many claims are still unresolved.

This tour may seem short, but the sights are gripping and provide much to ponder, so budget your time loosely. Start at:

1. Lesser Square (Malé námestí)

This square is adjacent to Staromestské námestí. Though it can't boast as much history as its larger companion, excavations have proven that Malé námestí was a prime piece of real estate as far back as the 12th century. Archaeologists turned up bits of pottery, evidence of medieval pathways, and human bones from the late 1100s, when developers committed the medieval equivalent of paving over a cemetery to build a shopping mall.

From Malé námestí, turn left onto U radnice. One block ahead, in the courtyard across from the Magistrate Building and tucked against St. Nicholas Church, you'll see:

2. Franz Kafka's House

In this building, which now houses Restaurace Franze Kafky, the famous author was born. There used to be a small gallery and shop here to re-create the history of his life, but it's now a restaurant. The best way to get a look Kafka's life is by visiting the Kafka Museum in Hergetova Cihelna.

An unflattering cast-iron bust of Kafka, unveiled in 1965, sits just to the right of the entrance, at the corner of Maiselova and U radnice. Walk straight ahead onto:

3. Maiselova Street

This is one of the two main streets of the walled Jewish quarter, founded in 1254. As elsewhere in Europe, Prague's Jews were forced into ghettos following a formal Roman Catholic decision that the Jews had killed Jesus. By the 16th century, Prague's 10,000 isolated Jews comprised 10% of the city's population.

The ban on Jews living outside the ghetto was lifted in 1848. Eighty percent of the ghetto's Jews moved to other parts of the city, and living conditions on this street and those surrounding it seriously deteriorated. The authorities responded by razing the entire neighborhood, including ...

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