Discover Vysehrad, The Oldest Hill In Prague

Discover Vysehrad, The Oldest Hill In Prague
Jana
Jana 
Published
| 4 min read

Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is known mainly for its beautiful old city centre. Its tiny streets are full of small cafes and restaurants in architecturally interesting buildings whose style goes from the Roman Age to the Art Nouveau period. Who wouldn’t know the old, stone Charles Bridge running across the Vltava River, or the panorama of the large complex of the Prague Castle with the stunning gothic cathedral of Saint Vitus in the centre. These historical sites are essential to visit when you are in Prague, yet there are also other interesting places to see. Vysehrad, an old fortress where the history of Prague began, is one of them. Let’s discover the secrets of this lesser known, but equally important place more in detail.

Mysterious legends …

discover vysehrad, the oldest hill in prague | mysterious legends …

Vysehrad, which can be translated as the ‘Upper-Castle", is an old fortress situated on the hill that rises steeply above the right riverside of the Vltava River. The best way to access Vysehrad is from the tram station Vyton or the metro station Vysehrad. The history of the place is veiled by the oldest Czech myths. According to legend, it was there where the city of Prague was founded. Queen Libuse ruled the fortress and knew how to predict the future. One day, she stood on the edge of the cliffs and had a vision of a “great city whose glory will touch the stars”. Obviously, this glorious city was Prague, which was founded right after the prediction was made. The legend of Libuse is not the only one connected with Vysehrad. Another interesting story speaks of Knight Horymir from Neumetely who was sentenced to death by the Vysehrad’s Duke Kresomysl. Despite his sentence, Horymir was rescued from the scaffold by his loyal horse called Semik. Brave Semik picked up Horymir and together they leapt over the walls of the fortress to the river. The duke, astonished by this heroic act, gave Horymir his liberty. In fact, the place from which Semik jumped is still accessible and you should not forget to visit it. It is just above the rocky tramway tunnel that follows the river. You’ll get a stunning view from there!

Gothic Church and Renaissance fortifications

discover vysehrad, the oldest hill in prague | gothic church and renaissance fortifications

Even if the legends give the Vysehrad a mystical atmosphere, Vysehrad is connected to an important historical period. First reference to the settlement goes back to the Roman Age where Vysehrad was mentioned on the reverse side of the dinar coins of King Boleslav II. In 1070, the first Czech king, Vratislav II, choose Vysehrad as his main siege mainly because of his disagreements with his brother Jaromir, who was the bishop of Prague. That’s why Vratislav founded the Basilica of Saint Peter and Paul, to which he connected a new chapter devoted directly to the Roman Pope. The stunning Roman basilica burned down in 1249. The church was rebuilt several times; its last reconstruction in the Gothic Revival style decorates Vysehrad now. Its remarkable towers are ones of the tallest in Prague!

The Slavin Cemetery

discover vysehrad, the oldest hill in prague | the slavin cemetery

The glory of Vysehrad declined in the 12th century, when the kings moved to the Prague Castle. During the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) Vysehrad gained new fortifications in the late Renaissance style, but it didn’t come back to public interest until the National Renaissance in the 19th century when the Czech nation rediscovered and re-evaluated its roots. It was because of this national recovery that the Czech people decided to create at Vysehrad a final resting place for outstanding Czech personalities. The national wish was realized thanks to Provost Mikulas Karlach and the city mayor Petr Matej Fisher. The stunning cemetery holds the remains of many Czech artists and scientists. You can find there, for example, the tomb of the famous opera singer Ema Destinova or the conductor Rafael Kubelik.

A picturesque view

discover vysehrad, the oldest hill in prague | a picturesque view

Even if Vysehrad is a crucial place for Czech culture and the long history is palpable from everywhere, the hill also offers a beautiful green park with a stunning view. There is nothing more calming than to walk through the tree-lined alleys and to breathe the fresh air. Sit for a moment on a bench and take a bit of a rest. All the rush of the day will be blown far away and the mystical atmosphere of the place will make you feel like you’ve gone back in time. There is also nothing more breathtaking than to stand up on the edge of Vysehrad’s steep cliffs and to look down to the beautiful panorama of the whole city – from Vysehrad, you’ll see Prague Castle with the stunning Saint Vitus Cathedral, the Charles Bridge and the curved river Vltava as well as Petrin Hill and its tiny imitation of the Eiffel Tower. Such views are really rare. Libuse truly knew which place to choose from her majestic visions!

Once you’re done taking in this beauty, take the path down to the river and follow its stream to the tram station Vyton. Every Saturday, there is a great farmer’s market with lots of traditional Czech delicacies to taste. Buy a piece of a special pie with plum jam and crumble topping called Frgal or a typical honey cake called Pernik. The end of your visit could not be better!

Visit one of the oldest places in Prague

Prague is a beautiful city famous all over the world for its long history that goes back for centuries. Its main historical sites, such as the Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge, are very well known. However, one of Prague’s oldest monuments, Vysehrad, remains a bit unknown. Hopefully you will add this wonderful place to your Prague itinerary!

Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Hi, my name is Jana and I am a Czech girl currently living in Paris. Student of cinema and dance, I love to meet new people all over the world, to speak with them in different languages and to...Read more

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