Why go
Vyšehrad is Prague’s other castle, a fortress on a rock high above the Vltava, two kilometres upstream from the centre. Legend says Princess Libuše stood here and foresaw a great city, and for Czechs it is a place wrapped in national myth. What you see today is mostly a 17th-century Baroque fortress, its brick ramparts enclosing parks, a church, a cemetery of national heroes and a maze of tunnels beneath.
It is far calmer than Prague Castle, much loved by locals for weekend walks, with benches under the trees, a café in the old Burgrave’s House and children playing on the lawns, and the views are superb. From the western ramparts you look down the river towards the bridges, the Old Town and the castle on its hill.
What to see
- The ramparts. Walk the walls for some of the best views in Prague, especially at sunset.
- The Basilica of Sts Peter and Paul. A neo-Gothic church with twin spires and Art Nouveau painted interiors.
- Vyšehrad Cemetery and Slavín. The resting place of many great figures of Czech culture, including Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana and Alfons Mucha, with the Slavín tomb at its heart.
- The casemates and Gorlice hall. Guided tours lead through brick tunnels to a vast underground hall holding six original Baroque statues from Charles Bridge.
- The Rotunda of St Martin. A small Romanesque round church, one of the oldest buildings in Prague.
Plan your visit
The fortress grounds are open all year and free, as are the ramparts, parks and cemetery. The information centre opens daily from 10am to 6pm, closing from noon to 1pm, and sells tickets, maps and souvenirs. From November to March the basilica opens from 10am to 5pm.
The Casemates to Gorlice tour is the main paid sight. It lasts 45 to 60 minutes, starts at the Brick Gate and is led by a guide in Czech or English, with a digital guide in other languages. It costs 330 CZK for adults, or 295 CZK online, 165 CZK for children aged 6 to 15 and 250 CZK for students and over-65s, with free entry under 6. The ticket includes the exhibition The Rise and Fall of Vyšehrad in the Gunpowder House, which temporarily replaces the Gothic Cellar display while it is renovated. Tours are limited in size, so book online.
Allow about two hours. The grounds are wheelchair accessible from Vyšehrad metro station, though some buildings and tour routes are not.
Nearby
A riverside walk north along the embankment leads to the Dancing House in about 20 minutes, and the cubist houses below the fortress are worth a short detour. These early 20th-century villas and apartment blocks, with their angled facades, are among the most unusual buildings in Prague and a reminder that the city’s architecture did not stop with the Baroque. The quickest way back to the centre is metro line C from Vyšehrad station, which reaches Muzeum and Florenc in a few minutes. In summer, concerts and shows are staged on the open-air stage inside the walls.