Žatec
Jewish synagogue
The series The Scarlet Pimpernel shows the synagogue as a jail, but in real life it's a proper sanctuary. The second biggest Czech synagogue built in the Maori style has entrancing acoustics. When you listen to a concert in its interiors, it's an experience to remember.
When Chovelin leads the line of prisoners to the execution site, they walk from the synagogue in Žatec. One of the convicts is Lady Marguerite, Scarlet Pimpernel's wife. Drama is at its peak. Despite the grim role the temple had on screen, one cannot help admiring its beautiful architecture.
The synagogue that is over 130 years old was burned out in 1938 during the event called Crystal Night, a pogrom against Jews. It was then used as a hospital and school, but for the next 50 years it had been in decay. A renovation in the 1990s finally prevented it from demolition, and so Žatec gained a unique cultural monument worth the visit of both tourists and filmmakers. The building has excellent acoustics and occasionally serves as a concert hall.
