Vyšehrad

A site standing as a memorial to Czech history, shrouded in legends and myths old as the nation itself, the seat of the mythical Přemysl princes, the last resting place of the most eminent of Czech artists and one of the symbols of Czech statehood. This is mythical Vyšehrad – an extensive complex spreading out on a high promontory overlooking the Vltava River, whose dark silhouette of narrow towers makes up a dominant feature of the southern centre of Prague.

According to legend, it is here at Vyšehrad where the first Czech rulers resided. In the middle of the 10^th century, the mint here was already coining denars, and later the first Czech king, Vratislaus II, began his reign here. As testament to these events, you can to this very day see the oldest rotunda in Prague, the St. Martin Rotunda. Did you know that the most famous of Prague legends tells of its foundation? It was right here at Vyšehrad that the mythical Princess Libuše foretold the great future of the city, whose fame would touch the stars. There can be no doubt nowadays that she was right.

Wait for the sunset!

Immediately after having passed through the massive gate known as Špička, you will find yourself in a world where history is still a living thing. Your steps will then lead you right to the dominant feature of the whole complex, the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul, modified in a neo-Gothic style. Another real experience for you will be sitting on the local battlements over the River Vltava, from where you can watch a magical sunset over the silhouette of Prague Castle opposite.

A place where the Czech greats rest

The world famous composers Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana, the opera singer Emma Destinnová or the romantic poet Karel Hynek Mácha – these are only a few of the greats who are buried in Slavín Cemetery at Vyšehrad. Here, you can visit a place where the Czech nation decided to bury the artists who have spread the good name of Czech culture around the world.

Nowhere else in the world

Under the massif of the Vyšehrad rocks, a true architectural gem awaits you. This is to say that the Czech Republic is the only country in the world where the style known as Cubism, which was originally a thing of artists, was successfully transposed into architecture. Along Rašínovo nábřeží you can thus see several Cubist villas decorated with typical geometric shapes, where you can engage your fantasy in a game of light and shadows.