Prague's cemeteries and monuments: who protects the city's memory

A Prague cemetery is a good place to spend an afternoon. Behind the walls are avenues of old trees, carved stone and family tombs that serve as an archive of the city's people. A national poet lies beside a printer, and the style of a gravestone tells you when its owner died and how the family wanted to be remembered.

Below: what survives, who looks after it and the manners expected of a visitor. Notable graves are not listed in full, because the lists are updated by the cemetery administrations.

Three burial grounds, three stories

Olšany. The Olšany cemeteries (Olšanské hřbitovy), in Žižkov, are among the largest in Prague. They were founded in 1680 during a plague epidemic, when the city needed new burial ground outside the walls, and they grew over the following centuries into a group of cemeteries serving different denominations. Many well-known figures from the Czech past are buried here. The district is covered in the profile of Žižkov.

Vyšehrad. The cemetery on the fortress hill of Vyšehrad is the nearest thing Prague has to a national pantheon. Established as a burial place for people of national significance in the 19th century, it contains the graves of composers, writers, painters and scholars. Names often associated with it include Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana, Karel Čapek and Alfons Mucha. The Slavín tomb, a shared monument completed in 1893, holds some of the most celebrated figures. Access to the hill is free, and the cemetery is a short walk from the Church of Saints Peter and Paul.

The Old Jewish Cemetery. In Josefov, the Old Jewish Cemetery was used from the 15th century. The oldest gravestone with a legible date is from 1439, and it is among the oldest surviving Jewish burial grounds in Europe. Because space was limited and burial in other places was not permitted, graves were stacked in layers, and the tombstones stand packed together on a mound. Our explainer on Josefov tells more of the history and covers the ticket arrangements.

Monuments as public heritage

Cemeteries are one part of a larger category: public memory in stone. Prague has a large number of monuments, statues and memorials, many of which date from the nation-building movement of the 19th century or the republic that followed. Some are in plain sight, such as the statue of St Wenceslas on Wenceslas Square, unveiled in 1912, described in Prague's New Town explained. Others are tucked away.

The memorial on Vítkov hill, described in the profile of Žižkov, was built in the interwar years and later became the site of ceremonies of the Czechoslovak state, and the Memorial to the Victims of Communism at the foot of Petřín, unveiled in 2002, recalls the people who suffered under the one-party regime. Our article on Czechoslovakia under communism gives the background.

Monuments are not only national. Districts, churches and associations put up many smaller memorials, from plaques on houses to the stumbling stones placed in the pavement to commemorate victims of Nazi persecution. These are part of the same public record.

How protection works

The basic law on the protection of monuments is the Act on State Monument Care (No. 20/1987 Coll.). Under it, certain buildings, sites and objects can be declared cultural monuments, and areas such as the historic centre can be designated as protected zones. The National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) maintains expert knowledge and the public catalogue of protected monuments, which is searchable online, and the Ministry of Culture decides on declarations (as of 2026; check the NPÚ and the Ministry of Culture).

For owners of listed buildings or objects, the practical effect is that changes require consent. The same applies to some monuments in cemeteries. The rules for buildings are covered in heritage protection and building restrictions. The historic centre of Prague has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1992, an international recognition that adds expectations about preservation.

Cemeteries are governed by a different law. The Act on Funeral Services (No. 256/2001 Coll.) regulates cemeteries, burials and graves, including the roles of operators and the rights of the people who rent graves. In Prague, the main municipal cemeteries are run by a city organisation, while others belong to churches, religious communities or districts. Check the specific cemetery for its rules and opening times.

Visiting well

A cemetery is a working place of memory, and a few simple habits make a visit respectful.

Follow the opening hours posted at the gate. Cemeteries commonly close at dusk, and the hours change with the season. Keep to the paths, and do not step on graves. Photography is usually allowed, though some places restrict it, and a notice at the entrance will say. Keep voices down, and do not touch or move objects left on graves.

Around All Saints' Day on 1 November and the following Commemoration of All Souls on 2 November, Czech families visit graves, light candles and leave flowers. At that time, the large cemeteries are busy and illuminated, and visitors from outside the community are welcome if they keep the same respect. Our piece on Czech public holidays and the overview of Czech religion and secularism provide context for the customs.

Public transport reaches the main sites: Olšany by tram or by metro A at Flora, and Vyšehrad by metro C at Vyšehrad station, followed by a steady walk up; see Prague's trams explained and the metro guide.

Memorials in the pavement and on the square

Not every monument is a statue. At the top of Wenceslas Square, in front of the National Museum, a small memorial set into the paving marks the place where the student Jan Palach set himself on fire in January 1969, and fresh flowers are often laid there. Memorials of this kind are simple, they sit in busy places and many people walk over them without noticing. Their position is part of the message.

The same is true of the small brass plaques set in the pavement outside certain houses, the stumbling stones that record the names of people deported and murdered during the Nazi occupation. They are placed at the last freely chosen address of the person, and each lists a name and a fate. Look down as you walk through the older districts and you will see them.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the largest cemetery in Prague?

The Olšany cemeteries in Žižkov are among the largest. Check the city cemetery administration for current figures.

Who is buried at Vyšehrad?

Many Czech composers, writers and artists, including Dvořák, Smetana, Čapek and Mucha.

How old is the Old Jewish Cemetery?

It is among the oldest surviving Jewish burial grounds in Europe, and its oldest legible gravestone is from 1439.

Is there an entrance fee?

The Vyšehrad grounds are free to enter. The Old Jewish Cemetery is part of the Jewish Museum's ticketed sites. Check each operator.

For a first visit, walk up to Vyšehrad on a quiet morning and read the names on the stones. Half of them will be familiar from street signs.

This is a general explainer, not legal or tax advice.