How to Visit Terezín Memorial | A Solemn Day Trip from Prague

The clouds were dark and hung low in the sky and it mirrored my mood as I struggled walking through the Terezín Memorial. A visit to the memorial can be a heavy and long day, not only due to the dark and dreary site but also because the remnants of the bleak work camp are spread across the whole village of Terezín.

The main points of interest to see on a visit to the Terezín Memorial include the Small Fortress, the Memorial on the Ohře River, and the Ghetto Museum. In Czech, the Terezín Memorial is known as Památník Terezín. Sadly, these landmarks are only scratching the surface of the Memorial.

Throughout the village of Terezín, there are also barracks, a crematorium, and old abandoned sections of railway.

With its close vicinity to Prague, it’s easy to visit Terezín Memorial as an independent day trip. However, the day can be heavy with the harsh realities of what actually happened here during World War II. Still, please do not skip this moving memorial.

Here’s how to best visit Terezín Memorial as a day trip from Prague.

Table of Contents

• How to Visit Terezín Memorial From Prague
• Visit Terezín Memorial Tips
• The Small Fortress
• Memorial on the Bank of the Ohře River
• Ghetto Museum
• More Things to See in Terezin
• How to Get to Prague from Terezin
• Why it’s Important to Visit Terezín Memorial
• Visit Terezín Memorial | A Solemn Day Trip from Prague

How To Get to Terezín From Prague

There are multiple ways to visit Terezín from Prague. The cheapest way to get to the site is independently via bus. Additionally, there are numerous Terezin Concentration Camp Day Tours from Prague.

While the visit can be heavy, visiting the Terezín Memorial is a worthwhile day trip from Prague.

It’s worth noting that guided tours of the Small Fortress and included with the price of the admission ticket, but are not always guaranteed. That means if you opt to visit Terezín Memorial without a tour you can still tour the facilities with a registered guide.

The Terezín Memorial consists of a lot of different landmarks, so make sure to arrive early if you want to see them all.

Prague to Terezín Memorial by Bus

There is a public bus from Prague to Terezín. Buses depart from the Letňany Station. This transportation hub is found on metro line C and is easily accessible from the historic center of Prague.

Once at Letňany Station, look for Bus #413 which departs from the bus station.

Bus Logistics | Bus Route: 413 | Departure Location: Letňany Station | Departures: Hourly, | Verify current bus timetables here | Duration: 1 hour

The bus stops in two locations in Terezin. First, in the main square next to the Ghetto Museum. This stop is Terezín, aut.nádr. The next stop is directly in front of the Small Fortress, which stops at Terezín, U Památníku.

I suggest hopping off the bus at Terezín, U Památníku to see if there is space on a guided tour of the Small Fortress. There are frequent tours in English and tours can be booked in advance.

Organized Terezin Concentration Camp Tours from Prague

Although a visit to Terezín Memorial is straightforward, there are numerous organized tours from Prague.

➜ Terezin Day Tour from Prague includes transportation and 3 hours at the Terezin Memorial

➜ This highly-rated Full-Day Tour from Prague stops at both Terezin Concentration Camp & Bohemian Switzerland

Prague to Terezín Memorial by Car

With a car, the Terezin Memorial is less than an hour’s drive from Prague. Be mindful that there are parking lots in the village that require a fee. Parking fees can be paid by the hour or for the day.

Tips to Visit Terezín Memorial

The Terezín Memorial consists of a variety of different landmarks that are scattered around the city of Terezín. When planning a visit independently, allow for enough time to self-tour the multiple sections of the Memorial.

Upon arrival, purchase entrance tickets at the Ghetto Museum, or at the Small Fortress (Theresienstadt). It’s best to purchase tickets at the Small Fortress since the guided tour departs frequently from there.

For reference, it takes around 15 minutes to walk between the Ghetto Museum and the Small Fortress.

A guided tour is included with ticket purchase of the Small Fortress. The tour meets at the gateway of the Ghetto inside the Small Fortress. Tours last around 1 hour and 15 minutes. There are no plaques or information placed around the ghetto, so I thought the guide was beneficial.

Terezín Memorial Ticket Logistics

There are two ticketing options to choose from when visiting the Terezín Memorial. The single ticket is only for the Small Fortress OR the Ghetto Museum.

In my opinion, I think the Small Fortress AND the Ghetto Museum are equally worthwhile. For this reason, I highly suggest the Combination Ticket which includes entry to both sites.

• Adult Single Entrance to either the Small Fortress or the Ghetto Museum plus Magdeburg Barracks
• Standard Entrance Fee: 230 CZK($10)
  • A complimentary guided tour is included with the purchase of the Small Fortress or the Combination Ticket. Remember, these guided tour slots are not guaranteed and are best to book in advance
• Combination Ticket | Small Fortress and Ghetto Museum and Magdeburg Barracks
• Standard Entrance Fee: 280 CZK ($12)
  • The whole visit feels complete with the Combined Ticket. It covers life behind the wall in the Small Fortress while the horrific stories come to life by the detailed artifacts in the Ghetto Museum. A visit may feel incomplete without both moving aspects of the Memorial

Terezin Memorial Hours | Hours are seasonal | Summer Hours, Small Fortress: 8:00-18:00 / Ghetto Museum: 9:00- 18:00 | Winter Hours, Small Fortress: 8:00- 16:30 / Ghetto Museum: 9:00- 17:30 | Check official hours here

The Small Fortress (Malá Pevnost)

Almost everyone will start here with their Terezin Memorial Tour from the Small Fortress. The Small Fortress, on the contrary, is actually quite massive. Besides the guided tour, there are other small museums and a cinema running the propaganda film that was shot here.

The Small Fortress takes a few hours to visit thoroughly and the guided tour lasts at least 1 hour and 15 minutes.

A Brief History of The Small Fortress

The fortress was actually built during the 18th century to help protect the lands of Bohemia from the possibility of invasion by Prussia. The invasion never happened, but in the future was used as a prison.

In 1940 the Germans took the fortress and eventually turned it into a prison for police and those resisting Hitler.

Terezín was not an extermination camp, rather it was used as a transit camp. There were no gas chambers; however, many of the prisoners would sadly find their way to death camps in Poland and beyond. Executions did take place at Terezin by a firing squad.

The Guided Tour of the Small Fortress

The guided tours start at the entrance to the Terezin Concentration Camp. The guide explains the process of what happened to each prisoner once they walked through those dreadful gates.

Because the Germans didn’t build the fortress but rather acquired it, they did not know the actual layout of it. There is an opportunity to walk in some of the passageways of the fortress. These were all blocked and protected by the Germans during the occupation of the fortress. It was precautionary so that no one could possibly escape.

The tour ends at maybe one of the most haunting scenes: the pool. Many of the German officers lived here with their families. Workers in the camp built the pool, and it was cheerfully used by the children of these German officers. Prisoners were often dragged from their cells right past the pool where children laughed and played, only to be executed by firing squads just on the other side of the hill.

A short hill and a barbed wire fence is the only thing that separates two very different worlds.

These prisoners were invisible to the world and this was sadly reinforced by the children who spent their summer days splashing about in the pool. As the men marched to their deaths, the children were jumping off the diving board.

Terezín as a Propaganda Set

Our guide did a great job of showing us the living conditions in each of the cells. She also went into detail about how Terezín was used as a major propaganda tool during World War II.

The Small Fortress actually has quite a few rooms that were built just for the film released by the Germans to try to settle“rumors” about the concentration camps. As the Red Cross became wary of the camps, the Germans decided to stage a false documentary.

The Terezin Concentration Camp was cleaned up and even some “actors” were brought in to shoot a movie about the “happy life” at the concentration camp. The film shows people playing soccer and smiling. A falsity to push an evil agenda.

One of the most upsetting propaganda rooms had to be the barbershop room, a room with mirrors and multiple sinks. The prisoners never used this room. In reality, 90 or sometimes 100 prisoners, would gather around one sink in their room, while this room sat empty. A room that would remain as empty as the lies the Germans pushed.

Everyone who helped film this movie would eventually be sent to the extermination camps. In hopes that the lies of the propaganda set would remain a secret.

End of the Guided Tour of the Small Fortress

After the guided tour of the Small Fortress, make sure to head to the cinema to watch the propaganda film that was filmed in town.

It was hard to wrap my mind around the fact that almost everyone smiling in the film had suffered a sad and terrible death. The hairs on the back of my neck stood as the film ended.

There is also an informative museum near where the tour starts. It gives a lot of information on the generals and the nearby Litoměřice work camp, where so many prisoners lost their lives.

At the exit, take a solemn stroll by the National Cemetery. Look closely at the graves. Most are numbers because many of the bodies couldn’t be identified.

Over 10,000 people and their ashes are buried in this small space, yet sadly, a number is all that remains.

Memorial on the Bank of the Ohře River

After touring the Small Fortress, walk 20 minutes to the Memorial on the Bank of the Ohře River. Personally, the walk gave me some time to digest the heaviness of the tour of the concentration camp.

I didn’t pass a single visitor, but I felt how significant the monument was.

The plaque is simple, yet powerful. Around the memorial were scattered flowers, and I couldn’t help but think of all the ashes that were scattered here less than 75 years ago. The ashes of 22,000 helpless souls.

Visit the Ghetto Museum at Terezín Memorial

The Ghetto Museum is extremely well done. The main floor is dedicated to the children of the transit camp. Unlike many other concentration camps, Theresienstadt’s ghetto had a small cultural life of its own. There were many writers, musicians, actors, and teachers who fell behind the walls of the ghetto.

Due to this uniqueness, there were small performances and access to books and art supplies. The boys’ school even had its own newspaper.

Sadly, many educators ultimately paid with their lives to help keep the children educated and distracted. In a time of such darkness, there was still creation happening. Sometimes, there were small, yet skewed glimpses of what life was like before the ghetto for the victims.

The first floor of the Ghetto Museum features some of the children’s surviving artwork. From their pictures, you could see they craved nature and their families.

I walked through pictures of fairytales, their views of the camp, beloved memories of family vacations, the pets they left behind, and beautiful interpretations of life in a place where it was nonexistent.

Sadly, most of these children suffered the same fate as their teachers making sacrifices for them, and their journey to survive ended in Auschwitz.

The Impact of Helga Weissová

One of the most famous children at Terezin was Helga Weissová, who actually ended up surviving. Her dad had encouraged her to “draw what she sees.” Her honest drawings can help us understand what life was really like inside the Terezín Concentration Camp.

Sadly, we are still reminded of all the children who perished in this ghetto, with their names hauntingly written on the walls.

Don’t Miss the Upstairs of The Ghetto Museum

The second floor goes into more detail about the culture that was happening inside the camp. The deeper you move into the museum the darker it becomes.

The finale is a large map showing the path to extermination for the majority of the people who passed through Theresienstadt. The details of Hitler’s terrible plans he wished to commit, which luckily he would not fully complete.

There is so much information it’s easy to spend at least a few hours in this small museum.

More Things to See in Terezín

There are many points of interest to see at the Terezín Memorial. The two main sites are the Small Fortress and the Ghetto Museum.

In addition, these sites may also be visited at Terezin:

✔ Magdeburg Barracks

✔ The Crematorium

✔ Central Morgue

✔ The old section of railways

This map indicates all the places to see on a visit to Terezin

There are so many things to see in the village that admittedly I ran out of time. Make sure to prioritize what you want to see.

How to Return to Prague from Terezín

To return to Prague, it’s best to catch the buses from the Main Square of Terezín. This bus stop is Terezín, aut.nádr. and bus #413 will return to the Letňany Transportation Station.

☛ Looking for More World War II History near Prague? A short bus ride from Prague is the heartbreaking, yet extremely well-done Lidice Memorial

Why it’s Important to Visit Terezín Memorial

Visiting a concentration camp is a tough day, but it is a much-needed social responsibility. The day may be heavy, but it forces us as humans to look at what evil is capable of. It is also an invaluable educational tool on how to recognize warning signs that our not-so-distant selves may have missed.

German students are required by law to visit at least one concentration camp during their schooling. By admitting their mistakes, they are taking social responsibility and encouraging the youth to not let history repeat itself. They are using these terrible deeds as an ongoing educational tool for their children.

The most important lessons sometimes come from the darkest of history. We must continue to be socially responsible and educated. The lessons that come from visiting a concentration camp are indispensable.

Chilling Parallels to Today

The children really are the focal point of the Terezín Memorial, proving that it is almost always the innocent who suffer. I admit that I stopped and cried for all the innocent children who suffered here. These innocent children were victims of a broken world, the result of people turning their heads.

My mind was unsettled and I couldn’t help but think of all the children sitting in the determent camps in the United States. These camps during World War II didn’t start out as death camps, but rather as temporary housing.

The parallels to what is happening in the United States are startling.

A few days after my haunting visit to the Terezín Memorial, my mom sent me an interesting article from the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian is interested in obtaining the drawings done by the migrant children at one of the Texas internment camps.

I had spent yesterday crying for the children of Terezín, and now I was so upset that I cried for the children locked up at our own border. The border of a country that is supposed to be a world leader.

As an American, I feel like we are walking a very dangerous line and must not become numb to what is happening. We have the social responsibility to not let history repeat itself.

Visit Terezín Memorial | A Solemn Day Trip from Prague

A Visit to the Terezín Memorial will leave an impression. It can be grim to visit something so heavy on a vacation, but we must not forget the importance of the lessons from the heartbreaking mistakes of our not-so-distant ancestors.

The Terezin Memorial can be visited independently or as part of a Terezin tour from Prague. With its close proximity and frequent buses, it is straightforward to visit independently.

The Small Fortress and Ghetto Museum are two of the most moving sights to visit at Terezin.

Did you visit Terezín Memorial? If you feel comfortable, please share your experiences in the comments below.

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