A fortified town from the 1780s, later used as a Jewish ghetto during WWII. Today, this historic site includes memorials and museums documenting its past.
In Terezín, you can walk through the cells of the Small Fortress where the Gestapo imprisoned resistance fighters, see children's drawings in the Ghetto Museum, and visit the Jewish Prayer Room with its original wartime decorations. This small town north of Prague lies within an 18th-century military fortress, where during WWII, Nazi forces created a Jewish ghetto and transit camp.
Getting to Terezín from Prague
Take bus 413 from Prague's Letňany station to the "Terezín,,U Památniku" stop, located 5 minutes on foot from the Small Fortress. The journey takes about one hour. By car, you'll reach Terezín in 45 minutes from Prague's city center. Many visitors join organized tours that include transportation and guided visits to the memorial sites.
Visiting the Small Fortress
The Small Fortress contains original prison cells, courtyards, and work areas from its time as a Gestapo prison during WWII. You can walk through interrogation rooms and see the living conditions of prisoners who were held here. Visit between 9 AM and 5 PM in summer or 9 AM to 4 PM in winter. A thorough visit takes about 90 minutes.
Inside the Ghetto Museum
The Ghetto Museum occupies the former town school building. Here you'll find original documents, photographs, and artwork created by prisoners during WWII. The children's exhibition displays drawings and poems made by young inmates of Terezín. Open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM.
Cultural Life During WWII
Jewish artists, musicians, and scholars in Terezín organized concerts, lectures, and performances despite their imprisonment. Many created artwork documenting daily life, which you can now see in the museum collections. Visit the Magdeburg Barracks to learn about these cultural activities and see where many of them took place.
Additional Memorial Sites
You can visit several other important locations within Terezín. The Jewish Prayer Room contains the original worship space used during the ghetto period. The Columbarium and Crematorium document the deaths of thousands of prisoners. At the National Cemetery, you'll find over 2,300 individual graves and mass burial sites. While most sites open daily, some close on specific weekdays.
Historical Background
Emperor Joseph II built Terezín as a military fortress in the 18th century. The Nazi regime converted the town into a ghetto and transit camp in 1941. Between 1941 and 1945, approximately 140,000 Jews passed through Terezín. Today, you can still see the original star-shaped fortress walls and grid layout of the town.
