What is Vysehrad? Prague's fortress

Vysehrad is not on the two-day itinerary. It is on the third day: it is what you visit when you have already seen the Castle, Charles Bridge, the Jewish Quarter and the New Town, and you still want more.

It is Prague's other fortress. The one to the south, on top of a crag above the Vltava, that most travellers never reach. For those who do know it, that is precisely its best quality.

What is Vysehrad

Vyšehrad (Czech for "high castle") is a fortress on a crag south of Prague's historic centre, by the Vltava river. It was founded in the 10th century and had its heyday in the 11th, when King Vratislaus II moved his court here. Legend goes further and makes it the first seat of the Přemyslids, Bohemia's founding dynasty, although Prague Castle is in fact somewhat older.

Legend also says that Princess Libuše lived here when she prophesied the founding of Prague: that from this crag she looked north and saw the future city, and that from here she chose Přemysl the Ploughman as her husband, the first prince of Bohemia. The country's entire founding mythology is set at Vyšehrad. We tell it in our article on the myths and legends of Vyšehrad.

The Vyšehrad you visit today is mainly the baroque fortress the Habsburgs built over the medieval one in the 17th century. The complex also includes an 11th-century Romanesque rotunda, the neo-Gothic Basilica of St Peter and St Paul and the Czech national cemetery, which alone justifies the climb.

Why visit Vysehrad

There are three different reasons to go up, and each gives you a different visit:

The views. Vyšehrad sits on a crag that drops sheer into the Vltava. The views from the ramparts to the north (the historic centre, the bridges and the Castle in the distance) are among the best in the city. Without the crowds of Petřín or the Castle, without queues and in silence.

The cemetery. Vyšehrad cemetery is the Czech national pantheon. Here lie Bedřich Smetana (composer of Má vlast, the cycle that includes The Moldau), Antonín Dvořák, Alfons Mucha, Karel Čapek, Jan Neruda and Josef Václav Myslbek. The key names of Czech culture, in a small, well-kept cemetery inside the fortress.

The calm. A quarter of an hour by metro from the centre, Vyšehrad has the atmosphere the centre lost decades ago: Prague families out for a walk, students on the grass and the river below. It is the Prague that lives outside mass tourism.

What to see in Vysehrad

The Basilica of St Peter and St Paul

The main church of the complex is neo-Gothic: its current form dates from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, although a Romanesque church stood on this spot from the 11th century. The interior, with Art Nouveau decoration, is colourful and more intimate than the great churches of the centre.

The exterior can be seen freely; the interior has an entry fee. Check prices and opening hours on Vyšehrad's official website before you go.

The Rotunda of St Martin

The Romanesque Rotunda of St Martin, from the 11th century, is the oldest surviving building at Vyšehrad. It is about 6 metres in diameter. It is one of three Romanesque rotundas still standing in Prague (the other two, Holy Cross and St Longinus, are in the Old Town and the New Town) and the oldest of them. The exterior is always visible; the interior only opens on special occasions.

The cemetery and the Slavín

Vyšehrad cemetery is small, but it is the record of Czech cultural identity over the last two centuries: around 600 notable figures are buried here. The most visited graves:

• Bedřich Smetana, composer. His orchestral cycle Má vlast (My Homeland), composed when he was already deaf, opens with the symphonic poem Vyšehrad followed by Vltava. The connection is deliberate: Smetana wanted his work to begin here.
• Antonín Dvořák, composer of the New World Symphony. Probably the best-known Czech in the world of classical music.
• Alfons Mucha, artist. His graphic work defined European Art Nouveau. In Prague he designed one of the most famous stained-glass windows in St Vitus Cathedral.
• Karel Čapek, writer and playwright. He popularised the word robot with his play R.U.R. (1920). He is one of the most translated Czech writers of the 20th century.
• The Slavín, the collective tomb from 1893 where more than fifty great figures of Czech culture are buried, Mucha among them. The inscription reads: Ačkoli zemřeli, ještě mluví ("Though they are dead, they still speak").

Admission to the cemetery is free. It is open every day, with shorter hours in winter.

The ramparts and bastions

The 17th-century baroque ramparts are largely intact and can be walked. From the bastions facing the river, the views over the Vltava and the historic centre are the best in the complex. No fences, no queues and no ticket.

The park and the Myslbek sculptures

Inside the fortress there is a park with four sculptural groups by Josef Václav Myslbek, the sculptor of the equestrian statue of St Wenceslas on Wenceslas Square. They depict couples from Czech mythology: Přemysl and Libuše, Šárka and Ctirad, Lumír and Song, and Záboj and Slavoj. They stood on Palacký Bridge until the 1945 bombing damaged it, and were then moved here.

How to get to Vysehrad

By metro: line C (red), Vyšehrad station. From Muzeum, at the top of Wenceslas Square, it is two stops. From the station, the main entrance to the fortress, through the Tábor Gate, is about 10 minutes on foot.

On foot from the centre: from the Old Town, following the Vltava south, about 30-35 minutes. The riverside walk is pleasant and gives you views of the bridges from below.

By tram: to the Výtoň stop, by the river, and walk up from there.

When to go and how long to spend

Recommended time: 2-3 hours to see the cemetery, the basilica, the ramparts and the viewpoints at a relaxed pace. If you are short on time, 90 minutes covers the essentials.

Best time: weekday mornings. The light is good at any time of day.

Avoid: days with big events in the complex (concerts or official ceremonies) if you want peace and quiet. The calendar is on Vyšehrad's official website.

In the rain: the cemetery arcades and the basilica offer shelter. It is not an easy visit in heavy rain, but it is not ruined either.

Vysehrad and the ODISEA tours

None of our free walking tours goes to Vyšehrad: it is outside the historic centre and needs its own time. But it fits perfectly into the third day of our Prague in 3 days itinerary: Vyšehrad in the morning, lunch in the Vinohrady district and Žižkov Tower in the afternoon.

It is the ideal visit for anyone who has already done the tours in the centre and wants a calmer day, at a different pace, in the Prague where Praguers live.

Frequently asked questions about Vysehrad

What is Vysehrad in Prague? A fortress founded in the 10th century and rebuilt in baroque style in the 17th, on a crag south of the historic centre. It includes the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul, the Romanesque Rotunda of St Martin, the Czech national cemetery (with the graves of Smetana, Dvořák and Mucha), ramparts with views over the Vltava and gardens. Entry to the grounds is free.

How do you get to Vysehrad from the centre? By metro, line C (red), Vyšehrad station: two stops from Muzeum and about 10 minutes on foot to the entrance. On foot from the Old Town, following the Vltava, about 30-35 minutes.

How much does it cost to enter Vysehrad? The grounds, the ramparts and the cemetery are free. The basilica interior has an entry fee.

Is it part of Prague Castle? No. Vyšehrad is an independent fortress, south of the historic centre. Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) is to the north, in the Hradčany district, above Malá Strana. They are two different places, about 4 km apart.

Is Vysehrad worth visiting? Yes, especially if you have three days or more in Prague or want a quiet counterpoint to the mass tourism of the centre. The national cemetery and the views from the ramparts are the highlights.

Where is the Vysehrad cemetery? Inside the fortress grounds, next to the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul. Admission is free. It is the Czech national pantheon, with the graves of Smetana, Dvořák, Mucha, Čapek and some 600 figures of Czech culture.

Vyšehrad is the natural companion to our article on its myths and legends. And to plan the rest of your trip, see our Prague in 2 days and Prague in 3 days itineraries.