Where the Labe and Ohře rivers meet, Terezín Fortress stands in an open landscape as a distinctive technical and urban-planning monument. Built between 1780 and 1790 to defend the route from Dresden to Prague, it represents the culmination of three hundred years of development in European bastion fortifications. A visit to Terezín therefore offers two historical perspectives: the development of the fortress and the memorial sites that commemorate the persecution and victims of the Terezín Ghetto.
The Fortress and Its History
The museum and information center at Terezín Fortress presents its history in seven vaulted casemate rooms. The timeline spans from the Theresian era to the First World War. This places the fortress complex in the context of a broader history of European construction, rather than viewing it only as an individual monument. On guided tours with historical lanterns, visitors can explore the fortress and its underground passages.
Memorial Sites in Terezín
Founded in 1947, the Terezín Memorial commemorates the suffering and victims of the Terezín Ghetto, the Gestapo police prison in the Small Fortress, and the Litoměřice concentration camp. The Small Fortress served as a Gestapo police prison for patriots and members of resistance organizations from the Czech lands and other territories.
A National Cemetery was established in front of the Small Fortress in September 1945 for the remains of prisoners exhumed from mass graves in the Small Fortress. The cemetery holds the remains of around 10,000 people. A memorial ceremony has been held there every year on the third Sunday in May since 1946. If you would like to plan your trip around this date, check the current event date.
The Jewish Cemetery and crematorium were established in December 1941 in the Bohušovice basin between Terezín and Bohušovice nad Ohří. Until early October 1942, the cemetery was used to bury Jewish victims from the ghetto. Tourists visit the cemetery throughout the year; gatherings and prayers are held there on Jewish days of remembrance.
The Central Mortuary of the former ghetto houses an exhibition about burial practices in the ghetto. On display are historic coffins, a hearse, and reconstructions of the tables on which the dead were washed. In its current form, the hall opened to the public in October 2001. Check the latest visitor information before your visit.
Guided Tours and Planning Your Visit
All buildings at the Memorial can be visited without a prior reservation using a printed guide or audio guide. Information is available in English, German, French, Italian, Dutch and Russian; check in advance which languages are currently available.
The first guided tour of the Small Fortress lasts 70 minutes and also includes an individual visit to the Small Fortress Museum and cinema. Allow 120 minutes for the tour of the former ghetto. The different timeframes can help you decide what to focus on during your visit. Check the latest information on tours and visitor arrangements before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Čakovice, Libkovice Pod Řípem, Vrbice U Roudnice Nad Labem, Jenčice, Hlinná, Malíč, Chudoslavice, Budyně Nad Ohří.
For the regional travel overview: Okres Litoměřice.
