Description

Essentials about Vyšehrad in brief

Although not much remains of the former castle of the Bohemian rulers, Vyšehrad is definitely worth a visit. Located south of Prague’s New Town on a hill on the banks of the Vltava River, the castle complex is one of the oldest early medieval ramparts in Bohemia. As the former seat of the legendary Přemyslid princes and the final resting place of many famous Czech artists, Vyšehrad is still a historically very significant place for Bohemia and the Czech Republic. Those who want to go in search of historical traces should definitely have seen the two main sights of Vyšehrad, the Church of St. Peter and Paul and the Vyšehrad Cemetery. All those who don’t care so much about history can enjoy the magnificent view of the Vltava River and Prague while having a picnic on Vyšehrad Hill.

The history of Vyšehrad

The foundation of Vyšehrad in the 10th century

Vyšehrad was founded in the first half of the 10th century south of Prague Castle on the opposite side of the Vltava River as the second castle of the Bohemian ruling dynasty of the Přemyslids. According to an old legend, the rock on the Vltava River was the seat of the first Czech rulers, especially the legendary princess Libussa (cz. “Libuše”), the ancestral mother of the Czechs, who also foresaw the foundation of Prague here in a vision and prophesied a great future for the city. In the late 10th century, a mint existed on Vyšehrad, where coins were minted for various princes.

Vyšehrad as a royal residence in the 11th and 12th centuries

The prince and first Czech king Vratislav II moved his residence from Prague Castle to Vyšehrad around 1070, probably due to power disputes with his brother Bishop Jaromír. Vratislav founded here the Vyšehrad Collegiate Chapter of St. Peter and Paul, which quickly developed into an important educational center. At the end of the 11th century, in addition to the church and the collegiate buildings, Vratislav’s stone Romanesque residential building was built. In addition, the Basilica of St. Lawrence and the Rotunda of St. Martin were built.

Under Prince Soběslav I, in the middle of the 12th century, there was once again greater building activity on Vyšehrad, but the ruler returned to Prague Castle at the end of his reign. After about 70 years of government activity of the Přemyslids, the castle increasingly deteriorated. On the other hand, the ecclesiastical institutions continued to exist, first and foremost the collegiate monastery.

The construction of Vyšehrad in the 13th and 14th centuries

Vyšehrad experienced a renewed upswing under King Charles IV. The reason for this was not only the fortificationally favorable connection to the fortification of the New Town of Prague, but also the reference to St. Wenceslas and the Přemyslids, which Charles emphasized again and again. In the same period when the wall of the New Town was built, a new fortification wall with battlements and battlements, two new gates and 13-15 ashlar towers was built here as well.

The main access to Vyšehrad was provided by the Lace Gate (cz. “Špička”) in the east. The entrance to the city was provided by the Prague Gate (cz. “Pražská brána”), later the Jerusalem Gate (cz. “Jeruzalémská brána”). Within the ring of walls, after the expansion of Prague Castle, Charles had a new royal palace built here as well, and the Collegiate Church of St. Peter and Paul was rebuilt into a three-nave church with side chapels in the years 1364 to 1369. Also in the second half of the 14th century, the small Church of the Beheading of St. John (cz. “Sv. Jana Stětí”) and in the outer bailey on the northern side the Chapter Hospital Church of the Virgin Mary Humility (cz. “Pokory Panny Marie”) were built.

Charles IV also tried to revive the cultural tradition of the Vyšehrad. In the coronation order he designated Vyšehrad as the starting point of the coronation procession of Bohemian kings, which Charles IV himself was the first to undertake in 1347 and which led from here via the Cattle Market, the old town and Charles Bridge to Prague Castle.

Destruction and reconstruction of Vyšehrad since the 15th century

After Charles’ death, Vyšehrad was mainly a priestly town, where more than 100 clergymen were in charge of about ten sacral buildings. In 1420, when the castle was conquered by the Hussites, almost all the buildings were destroyed. In the 15th century, the Free Town on Vyšehrad Hill, inhabited mostly by small craftsmen, was established. In 1620, with the Counter-Reformation, the area reverted to the chapter and there were increasing differences with the established inhabitants.

After the military-technically outdated castle complex was severely damaged in 1648 during an attack by the Swedes in the Thirty Years’ War, it was expanded into a Baroque fortress from 1654 to 1680. For the massive redoubts made of brickwork and the heavy corner bastions, the population was expelled and buildings were demolished. The fortress was abolished in 1866 and soon after annexed to Prague as a new district. In 1911 it was largely razed.

The sights of Vyšehrad

The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul

The Church of St. Peter and Paul (cz. “Kostel sv. Petra a Pavla”) is the present landmark of Vyšehrad. It was founded in the 1070-ies under Vratislav II as a collegiate church of the Vyšehrad Chapter. At the same time it served as a burial church where four přemyslid dukes were buried. Remains of the original Romanesque three-nave basilica have been preserved in the southwest corner of the present church. In the following years the church was enlarged several times and after a fire it was renewed in early Gothic style.

Under Charles IV, from 1364 to 1369, the reconstruction into a three-nave church with side chapels began, which could not be completed until the beginning of the 15th century. Today, only the side aisles and the chapels remain from this construction, as the church underwent numerous changes during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Between 1575 and 1576 a new choir was built, later the sacristy was added and in 1678 the freestanding early Baroque bell tower was built. At the beginning of the 18th century 1709-1729 the Gothic vaults were replaced by Baroque ones and a Baroque front was added. The current appearance is mainly due to a neo-Gothic remodeling that took place between 1885 and 1887; the dominant double-tower facade was added only at the beginning of the 20th century. The facade decoration and the interior decoration also date almost exclusively from this period.

A special piece of equipment in the interior of Church of St. Peter and Paul is a Gothic panel painting of the Virgin Mary from around 1360, the so-called “Vyšehrad Madonna” or “Rain Madonna”. She was used to pray for rain during processions in times of drought.

Vyšehrad Cemetery

Vyšehrad Cemetery (cz. “Vyšehradský hřbitov”) adjoins the church. It is the most important cemetery in Prague. Among others, the composers Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana and Rafael Kubelík, the poet and journalist Jan Neruda and the opera singer Ema Destinová found their final resting place here. In the 1870s, the cemetery was created as a national burial place. In the center is the Slavín from 1889-1893, the common honorary crypt of the deserving personalities of the Czech nation.

Saint Martin’s Rotunda

The Rotunda of St. Martin (cz. “Rotunda sv. Martina”) is the oldest rotunda in Prague, probably built as late as the 11th century. The church, profaned in the meantime, was renovated in the 19th century and decorated with murals depicting motifs from the Vyšehrad Coronation Code.

The Chapel of the Virgin Mary at the Entrenchments

The Chapel of the Virgin Mary at the Entrenchments (cz. “Kaple Panny Marie v hradbách”) is a pilgrimage site from the mid-18th century for the sculpture of the Virgin Mary of Loreta (it is now in the Church of St. Peter and Paul). The church was abolished in 1784, but consecrated anew less than a century later.

Website

praha-vysehrad.cz

Opening hours

Admission fees

Admission to the castle grounds is free of charge. However, there is a charge for the gallery, the Gothic cellars and the Cathedral of St. Paul and St. Peter.

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Metro line C: Haltestelle Vyšehrad

Tram lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 14, 17, 18, 21, 24, 25, 93 and 95: Stop Albertov

Tram lines 2, 3, 4, 7, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 21, 24, 92, 93, 94, 95 and 98: Stop Ostrčilovo náměstí

Tram lines 2, 3, 4, 7, 13, 14, 16, 17, 21, 92, 94 and 98: Stop Výtoň

Tram lines 2, 3, 17, 21, 92 and 99: Stop Podolská vodárna

By car:

The nearest parking lot is RHP Parking.