Zpět na seznamTIP for a divine walk through Vyšehrad
Vyšehrad is simply gorgeous, and you could spend hours wandering through its various parts. However, some of its features are especially worth checking out – and you probably don’t know all of them.
Join us on a great walk through Prague’s Vyšehrad and discover what’s waiting for you, along with a few lesser-known highlights.
Through Tábor Gate to a paradise of monuments
Let’s assume you’re coming from the metro. You’ll enter the Vyšehrad complex through the first monument – Tábor Gate. It was built in the mid-17th century (though there’s a lot of debate about that).
While not the most magnificent gate in Vyšehrad, it is certainly fascinating. Take a close look at its walls, and you’ll see how the guards on duty used to sharpen their weapons against the gate.
Incidentally, although the gate was meant to have a protective function and was locked at night, this measure eventually had to be abandoned. The closed gate was hard to see, and horses and carriages often crashed into it at full speed in the darkness.
St. Martin’s Rotunda
Then you’ll pass by several other monuments – the remains of the Gothic Špička Gate with its information center and under Leopold Gate – until you stand before an important monument: St. Martin’s Rotunda.
It’s the oldest rotunda in Prague, dating back to the 11th century. It’s also the largest rotunda in Prague, with a diameter of 6.5 meters. It has seen a lot of history – evidence of its experience is the Prussian cannonball, which was embedded directly into its walls after a bombardment in 1757. You can still see it today, more than a quarter of a century later.
TIP for an adventurous expedition
Want to enjoy your walk in an unconventional and fun way?
Try an outdoor escape game. It will take you on your own path around the monuments, involve you in a captivating story, and challenge you with tricky tasks.
In Prague, we have a range of escape games, and the most successful one leads you through Vyšehrad. Who knows if it’s so popular because it’s so fun and mysterious (you can even play it at night!)… or just because Vyšehrad is so beautiful on its own.
Play the game Curse of Vyšehrad and see if you can solve it… but beware, it’s not for the faint-hearted!
Brick Gate
But back to our route. Don’t turn at St. Martin’s Rotunda, continue straight ahead. You’ll pass by the Church of St. John the Baptist, the Chapel of Our Lady of Šancovská, and Gorlice.
And then there’s the Brick Gate. It’s a beautiful building in its own right, but inside, you’ll find an interesting audio-visual exhibition that offers a glimpse into Prague’s history. It’s free to enter.
There is also an entrance to the underground hall of Gorlice. The 330 m2 large underground hall is the largest hall of the Vyšehrad underground tunnels (which have a total length of one kilometer and were used for the quick movement of the army). The hall used to be a shelter in times of danger (and a storage room), but today it serves as a shelter for several original statues from Charles Bridge. However, if you want to go there, you have to pay admission (family ticket currently costs 260 CZK, basic ticket 130 CZK, reduced ticket 80 CZK).
Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul with Cemetery
From the Cihelná Gate, head towards the buildings of the New and Old Provost’s House (the Vyšehrad provosts resided here until 1948). When you turn right here, you can go admire the monument of Provost Václav Štulc and the statue of St. Wenceslas. Then, however, head back to the Provost’s House and continue on. The best is yet to come – the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul.
The basilica is a very significant Prague landmark, built around the year 1070. Over the years, it has been frequently rebuilt and its current appearance is most influenced by the neo-Gothic reconstruction from the end of the 19th century. Inside, you can admire the exceptionally rich exterior and a permanent exhibition of jewelry and other ancient precious objects (but again, there is an admission fee, similar to Gorlice).
One interesting modern-day tidbit: it was only in 2002 that the remains of St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, were found in the basilica.
Surrounding the basilica is a cemetery where you will also find Slavín, a majestic tomb of the famous and significant. Also worth noting is the symbolic grave of Josef Čapek and Milada Horáková.
Gardens full of old treasures
When you wander further into the gardens, in any direction, you will find plenty of other landmarks. You can see the old burgrave’s office, remnants of the Gothic palace wall, a Gothic cellar with a permanent exhibition of Vyšehrad’s history, a portal from the Baroque armory, Libuše’s Bath, the New Deanery, remnants of the Romanesque Basilica of St. Lawrence, the Devil’s Column, and plenty more.
By the way, our escape game will especially make your head spin here… if you want to discover how fun walks can be during an adventurous journey full of puzzles and challenges, try our successful Prague escape game, The Curse of Vyšehrad.
In any case, we wish you a wonderful wander through this amazing place, which is always worth it!
