Vysehrad (Vyšehrad)

Vyšehrad (Castle on the Heights) is an ancient Czech castle built on a hill over the Vltava River in the 10th century. The area around Vyšehrad castle was appended to the Prague’s municipal territory in 1883.

Vyšehrad is a castle of great importance in Czech culture and collective Czech memory. The legend says, that Princess Libuše - the most beautiful and beloved daughter of the equally mythical Czech ruler Krok - lived in Vysehrad in the eight century. The Princess, who was gifted of prophecy and chosen by her father as his successor, had a dream of a big city to be built on the Vltava banks. Despite of being a princess, Libuše chose a ploughman named Přemysl as her husband, and their children became the founders of the Czech Nation. Libuše and Přemysl’s sculpture, created by Josef Václav Myslbek in 1881, is located in Vyšehrad.

Unfortunately, the widely accepted archeological evidence shows, that Vyšehrad was built in 1085 by the Bohemian prince Vratislav II, whereas the first settlement in this area had supposed to be built in the 10th century… But I still prefere to believe the legend of the wise princess who married a ploughman.

Since Vyšehrad is located outside the Prague’s center, we didn’t find time to visit it during our first visit; but from my current perspective of a Prague’s eternal traveler and devoted lover, I see Vyšehrad as one of the “must” sites. It is not as far as one can imagine when looking at Prague’s map. Using the subway, you can reach Vyšehrad from Wenseslas Square in less than 20 minutes. Take the C metro line to Vyšehrad station and walk 5 minutes to the castle.

The most prominent visiting points in the castle are the Cathedral of Saint Paul and Peter and the Vyšehrad cemetery, containing the remains of many famous Czech: the playwright Karel Čapek, the composers Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana (the autor of the famous opera “Libuše”), the sculptor Josef Václav Myslbek and the painter Alfons Mucha, to name a few. Planning your visit, don’t skip a walk in the surrounding area, the green and peaceful Vyšehrad park, where you can enjoy a spectacular view of the city at sunset. The sight is especially beautiful in the fall.

After visiting Vyšehrad, you can have a refreshing break at the exclusive Toskana Restaurant, placed in the Corinthia Towers Hotel nearby, or in the more modest (and quite cheaper) café at the Vyšehrad metro station.