# Terezín An eighteenth-century fortress town that the Nazis turned into a ghetto and Gestapo prison, an hour from Prague. A hard but necessary visit, guide included. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/terezin · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Terezín is a fortress town that Emperor Joseph II had built in the late eighteenth century to defend Bohemia from Prussia: a grid of streets and barracks surrounded by brick walls and moats and, across the River Ohře, a smaller fortress. During the Nazi occupation the Small Fortress was a Gestapo prison and the whole town became a ghetto through which tens of thousands of Jews from Bohemia, Moravia and other European countries passed on their way to the extermination camps. Today it is a memorial and a small, quiet town. It is a hard visit that is worth preparing for. ## How do you get there from Prague? By bus, about an hour from Florenc or from Nádraží Holešovice, on metro line C. Terezín has no practical railway station. The bus drops you in the town, near the Ghetto Museum. By car, about 60 km along the D8 motorway, under an hour. Park next to the Small Fortress to start there, then move the car into the town. ## How is the visit organised? There are two areas, about 20 minutes' walk apart: The Small Fortress, with the National Cemetery in front: courtyards, communal cells, the tunnel and the execution yard. About two hours. The former ghetto, in the town: the Ghetto Museum, with the children's drawings; the Magdeburg Barracks, on the cultural life of the ghetto; the prayer room; the columbarium and, on the outskirts, the crematorium and the Jewish cemetery. A combined ticket of 310 CZK opens both areas. The guided tour is included, but it must be booked by phone or email; without a booking it is not guaranteed. There is a printed guide and an audio guide for your phone. ## How much time do you need? A whole day from Prague, without rushing: the Small Fortress in the morning, lunch in the town or in Litoměřice, and the ghetto in the afternoon. Inside the memorial there are only drink and food vending machines. ## With children? It is not a visit for small children, although under-10s go in free. For teenagers who have studied the Second World War, the Ghetto Museum and the Small Fortress are among the most valuable parts of the trip; talk to them beforehand about what they will see. ## Where to eat and sleep There are few places in Terezín: the Parkhotel has a restaurant open to the public and rooms. About 3 km away, Litoměřice, a royal town on the Elbe with a large square, has more atmosphere; the Grandhotel Salva occupies a Renaissance palace there. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Litoměřice (a 2.9 km), Mělník (a 29.0 km), Kokořín and its valley (a 31.2 km), Bohemian Switzerland (a 40.9 km) ## Qué hacer - **Terezín Small Fortress, the Gestapo prison** (2 h · From about age 12 · Combined ticket with the ghetto 310 CZK adult; 240 CZK reduced; 630 CZK family; free under 10): An eighteenth-century fortress across the River Ohře that the Gestapo turned into a police prison between 1940 and 1945: through its cells, courtyards and tunnels passed thousands of political prisoners, many of whom died here or in the camps. You walk through the courtyards, the communal cells, the showers, the tunnel and the execution yard; in front is the National Cemetery. The combined ticket includes the sites of the former ghetto, in the town. The guided tour is included in the ticket, but it must be booked; if no guide is available, buy the printed guide or download the audio guide on your phone. Animals are not admitted. - **Terezín Ghetto Museum** (1 h 30 · From about age 12 · Included in the 310 CZK combined ticket): Between 1941 and 1945 the Nazis turned the whole town of Terezín into a ghetto for Jews from Bohemia, Moravia and other countries, on their way to the extermination camps. The museum, in the town's former school, tells that story and holds drawings by the children of the ghetto. It is part of the combined ticket with the Small Fortress, together with the prayer room and the replica of an attic. - **Magdeburg Barracks: culture in the ghetto** (45 min · From about age 12 · Included in the 310 CZK combined ticket): In the former barracks that housed the ghetto's Jewish administration, an exhibition tells of the cultural life that was kept going in Terezín in spite of everything: music, theatre, literature and the visual arts. It includes the reconstruction of a prisoners' dormitory. It is a few minutes' walk from the Ghetto Museum. - **Crematorium and the ghetto Jewish cemetery** (30 min · From about age 12 · Included in the 310 CZK combined ticket): On the outskirts of the town, the crematorium that the Nazis built in 1942 for the dead of the ghetto and the Jewish cemetery. It is a place of silence. You reach it on foot from the centre, in about fifteen minutes, or by car. Together with the columbarium, the ceremonial halls and the morgue, in the town, it completes the visit to the ghetto. - **National Cemetery opposite the Small Fortress** (20 min · All ages): In front of the entrance to the Small Fortress, the National Cemetery holds the graves of the victims of the fortress, the ghetto and the Litoměřice concentration camp, with a great cross and a Star of David. It can be walked freely before or after the visit. - **A walk through the fortress town and its walls** (1 h · All ages): Terezín is a fortress town that Emperor Joseph II had built in the late eighteenth century, with streets in a grid, barracks and brick walls surrounded by moats. Today it is a small, quiet town; walking round its square and streets, knowing what they were between 1941 and 1945, completes the visit to the museums. Within the town dogs may go on a lead, but they are not allowed into the memorial buildings. ## Dónde comer - **Parkhotel Terezín restaurant** (Restaurant, Terezín, €). Qué pedir: a Czech dish from the menu of the day. - **Restaurant and café of the Grandhotel Salva (Litoměřice)** (Restaurant, Litoměřice, €€€). Qué pedir: a game dish or the knedlíky with mushroom sauce, with a Žernoseky wine. ## By plane: Fly to Prague and an hour by bus or car to Terezín Terezín has no airport or practical train: you fly to Prague, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, and continue by bus from Florenc or Nádraží Holešovice, about an hour, or by hire car on the D8 motorway, about 60 km. It is a day trip from Prague. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Parkhotel Terezín** (Hotel): The house A simple hotel on a quiet street next to Terezín park, a few minutes' walk from the square and the Ghetto Museum. It has 24 rooms of one to four beds, all with a private bathroom, for up to 67 people. What it has A large restaurant, open also to those not staying at the hotel, with Czech and international cooking; half board is available. There is parking next to the hotel. Who it is for For those who come by car or by bike on the Elbe route and want to see the memorial at leisure, starting early. The D8 motorway to Prague is very close. - **Grandhotel Salva (Litoměřice)** (Hotel): The house A four-star hotel in the Salva Guarda palace, a house dating from the fourteenth century with a sgraffito Renaissance façade, on the main square of Litoměřice, the royal town on the Elbe about 3 km from Terezín. It has a restaurant and café. Who it is for For staying overnight near the memorial in a lively town, with a square, a cathedral and local wines, rather than sleeping in Terezín. The restaurant serves game and Czech cooking with wines from the Žernoseky and Litoměřice vineyards. Getting there Litoměřice has frequent buses to Terezín. By car, it is a few minutes along the Ohře road. ### Servicios - **Terezín Memorial: tickets and guide booking**: Tickets to the Small Fortress and the former ghetto; booking of the guided tour included in the ticket. - **Bus from Prague**: Buses from Prague (Florenc or Nádraží Holešovice) in about an hour; Terezín has no convenient train. ## Car-free: Bus from Prague and on foot between the ghetto and the fortress Without a car, Terezín works well: the bus from Prague stops in the town, the whole former ghetto is seen on foot and the Small Fortress is about 20 minutes' walk away. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water: inside the memorial there are only vending machines. Presupuesto orientativo: 50–110 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Parkhotel Terezín** (Hotel): The house A simple hotel on a quiet street next to Terezín park, a few minutes' walk from the square and the Ghetto Museum. It has 24 rooms of one to four beds, all with a private bathroom, for up to 67 people. What it has A large restaurant, open also to those not staying at the hotel, with Czech and international cooking; half board is available. There is parking next to the hotel. Who it is for For those who come by car or by bike on the Elbe route and want to see the memorial at leisure, starting early. The D8 motorway to Prague is very close. - **Grandhotel Salva (Litoměřice)** (Hotel): The house A four-star hotel in the Salva Guarda palace, a house dating from the fourteenth century with a sgraffito Renaissance façade, on the main square of Litoměřice, the royal town on the Elbe about 3 km from Terezín. It has a restaurant and café. Who it is for For staying overnight near the memorial in a lively town, with a square, a cathedral and local wines, rather than sleeping in Terezín. The restaurant serves game and Czech cooking with wines from the Žernoseky and Litoměřice vineyards. Getting there Litoměřice has frequent buses to Terezín. By car, it is a few minutes along the Ohře road. ### Servicios - **Terezín Memorial: tickets and guide booking**: Tickets to the Small Fortress and the former ghetto; booking of the guided tour included in the ticket. - **Bus from Prague**: Buses from Prague (Florenc or Nádraží Holešovice) in about an hour; Terezín has no convenient train. ## By car: By car on the D8, with the Small Fortress and the ghetto on the same day By car, Terezín is about 60 km from Prague on the D8 motorway, under an hour. The car saves the walk between the town and the Small Fortress and lets you eat in Litoměřice or continue to Bohemian Switzerland. Presupuesto orientativo: 60–120 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Parkhotel Terezín** (Hotel): The house A simple hotel on a quiet street next to Terezín park, a few minutes' walk from the square and the Ghetto Museum. It has 24 rooms of one to four beds, all with a private bathroom, for up to 67 people. What it has A large restaurant, open also to those not staying at the hotel, with Czech and international cooking; half board is available. There is parking next to the hotel. Who it is for For those who come by car or by bike on the Elbe route and want to see the memorial at leisure, starting early. The D8 motorway to Prague is very close. - **Grandhotel Salva (Litoměřice)** (Hotel): The house A four-star hotel in the Salva Guarda palace, a house dating from the fourteenth century with a sgraffito Renaissance façade, on the main square of Litoměřice, the royal town on the Elbe about 3 km from Terezín. It has a restaurant and café. Who it is for For staying overnight near the memorial in a lively town, with a square, a cathedral and local wines, rather than sleeping in Terezín. The restaurant serves game and Czech cooking with wines from the Žernoseky and Litoměřice vineyards. Getting there Litoměřice has frequent buses to Terezín. By car, it is a few minutes along the Ohře road. ### Servicios - **Terezín Memorial: tickets and guide booking**: Tickets to the Small Fortress and the former ghetto; booking of the guided tour included in the ticket. ## With teenagers: Twentieth-century history told where it happened Terezín is a visit for teenagers who have already studied the Second World War: the Small Fortress, the cells and the execution yard, and the drawings by the children of the ghetto in the museum leave their mark. Prepare them beforehand and leave time to talk afterwards. ### What works best Ghetto Museum, with the children's drawings Small Fortress, with the guided tour included Magdeburg Barracks, on music and theatre in the ghetto National Cemetery, outdoors ### Where to sleep Parkhotel Terezín Grandhotel Salva, in Litoměřice ### Where to eat Parkhotel restaurant ### Keep in mind Ages 10 to 18 pay a reduced entry fee; under-10s go in free, but it is not a visit for them Book the guided tour in advance It is a memorial: respect and silence in the spaces ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Terezín Small Fortress, the Gestapo prison - Terezín Ghetto Museum - Magdeburg Barracks: culture in the ghetto - Crematorium and the ghetto Jewish cemetery - National Cemetery opposite the Small Fortress - A walk through the fortress town and its walls ## Consejos ### Book the guided tour It is included in the ticket, but only with advance booking. ### Start with the Small Fortress It is the longest part; leave the ghetto for the afternoon. ### Bring water and something to eat Inside the memorial there are only vending machines. ### Leave the dog at home Dogs are not allowed in the fortress, the museums or the exhibitions. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take to get from Prague to Terezín? About an hour by bus or car. ### How much is the ticket? 310 CZK for the combined ticket for the Small Fortress and the ghetto; 240 reduced and 630 for a family. ### Are there tours in Spanish? The guided tour is booked by stating the language; if no guide is available, there is a printed guide in many languages and an audio guide for your phone. ### Is it the same as Auschwitz? No. Terezín was a ghetto and a prison; people were deported from here to the extermination camps. ### Which days is it closed? 24 to 26 December and 1 January. ### Can you go with children? With teenagers, yes, if you prepare the visit. It is not recommended for small children.