VYŠEHRAD CASTLE (VYŠEHRAD)

Vyšehrad, which means "Castle of the Heights," was the first stronghold of the Bohemian kings in the 11th and 12th centuries, before it was supplanted by Hradčany. A legend says that this is where the history of Prague actually began. It says that the Czech kings chose this place to build their seat and that it was from here that Countess Libuše predicted the glory of the future city she saw spread out at her feet. There are many other legends connected with the history of Vyšehrad, such as that of Šemík, the horse that threw itself off the rock to save its master Horymír. Today, the place is a bit shunned by foreign visitors, because it is a bit out of the way, but this is also what makes it so charming: if you like to be quiet on a walk, take the opportunity (see our "walk" box in this same chapter). The ramparts, impressive by their thickness, seem to protect us here from the bustle of the city. Pragians come to stroll around on weekends to enjoy this peaceful haven just a few subway stops from the city center. On your own walk, don't hesitate to go up to the cliff for the beautiful view of Prague Castle on the other side of the river and watch the Vltava river flow along the docks saturated with cars during rush hour. The noise that often rises up to here seems unreal in this quiet, green place. With this abandon and mystery, Vyšehrad, with its almost rural character, is a romantic place for a walk, a stroll through Czech history and mythology.

The Devil's Column. At the edge of the path, on the way up to Vyšehrad Castle, you can see a column broken into three pieces. According to a legend, a priest of Vyšehrad had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his services on earth. Shortly before his death, the priest regretted this agreement and sought a way to recant. A clause stipulated that the contract would be cancelled if the devil failed to fulfill one of the priest's wishes. He asked St. Peter for advice, and he suggested that the devil should bring a column from the church of Our Lady in Rome and place it in Vyšehrad during the service. The devil flew to Rome, brought the column back to Prague, but St. Peter, to help the priest, made the wind rise, and the column escaped the devil's hands three times. When the devil arrived after the mass and was furious at his loss, he threw the column at the cathedral. The column broke into three pieces, which can still be seen on the roadside in Vyšehrad.

The gates. The site is surrounded by high walls, the remains of its transformation into a fortress in the 17th century, and it is necessarily through a gate(brána) that you will approach it. If you arrive from the metro station, you will pass under the Tabór gate (Táborská brána). It is surrounded by a moat (today it is used as a tennis court). It dates from the 17th century. Continuing towards the St. Martin's Rotunda, you pass by the ruins of the Špička Gate and then under the Leopold Gate (Leopoldova brána), a Baroque building from 1670, partly designed by Carlo Lurago. If you come from the Vltava River quays via Vratislavova Street, you will pass under the Brick Gate (Cihelná brána). It was completed in 1842 by Chotek. The vaulted casemates at the entrance are worth a visit for their architecture, but also for the small exhibition about the history of the Vyšehrad fortifications.

St. Martin's Rotunda. Near the entrance, it is a Romanesque church built in the 11th century. It is the oldest monument in Vyšehrad. Sanctuary of the first Bohemian king Vratislav II, it has had various uses over the years: shelter for the poor and even a police station. A cannonball was embedded in the walls of the rotunda in 1757, when Prague was conquered by the Prussian armies.

Old and new deanery. Near the Old Deanery are the remains of the St. Lawrence Basilica, an 11th century church that stood next to the old royal complex. It was later remodeled in the Gothic style and destroyed during the Hussite wars of 1420, but its existence was not rediscovered until the 1920s. Excavations have also uncovered the remains of a building dating from the year 1000, under the basilica.

Church of Saints Peter and Paul (Kostel svatého Petra a Pavla). It was originally a church of the eleventh century, of which only a few foundations and the sarcophagus St. Longin remain, probably originally used to house members of the Přemyslid royal family. The present appearance of the church owes much to the neo-Gothic reconstruction carried out by Mocker in 1885.

National Pantheon (Slavin). The most famous cemetery in the Czech Republic dedicated by "the grateful fatherland" to "great men" (and women). See below for a detailed description.

Gothic cellar. Small exhibition on the history of Vyšehrad in the bowels of the old medieval castle.

After the visit. You will have to go back down to the Vltava river banks following the same path as on the way out. Afterwards, we recommend crossing the river by the railway bridge and heading to Petřín Hill to extend this green day.