Vyšehrad Park | Lush Gardens, Sculptures & Architectural Gems

The Rotunda of St. Martin is the only Romanesque building in Vyšehrad which has been completely preserved. As the oldest structure of Prague, there is a vast history around it. Built in the year 1100, it was initially surrounded by a cemetery till the year 1300. The building survived the devastating Hussite Wars and was thereafter used as a prison for the Town of the Vyšehrad Hill. It was a gunpowder storage unit during the Thirty Years’ War, from 1700 to 1750. After this period, it was renovated and reconsecrated in order to function as a chapel. However, in 1784, ownership was passed to the military management, so they could resume its use as a warehouse and manufacturing facility for cannon ammunition.

The children’s playground at Vyšehrad has a unique origin. Located on the mound situated across from the Rotunda of St. Martin, this playground was the vision of the very same children who first played in it! In a novel approach, children from the Na Bučance kindergarten were asked to draw pictures depicting their ideal playground and its many elements. Thereafter, the builders were able to take inspiration from the children’s colorful imaginations and create this playground filled with unique elements drawn from childhood stories. Some elements depict legendary heroes that the children knew from The Ancient Bohemian Legends by Alois Jirásek. While visiting, try to spot Přemysl the Ploughman; and the sisters Kazi, Teta, and the Duchess Libuše. The playground is meant for children from 3 to 15 years of age.

The Devil’s Column is a formation of 3 stone columns, located in the Karlach Gardens in the Vyšehrad complex. As the story goes, in the year 1700, a priest wagered that he could celebrate Mass quicker than the Devil would be able to bring a column of stone all the way over from the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome. Legend holds that the devil lost the bet and threw the column onto the ground in a fit of rage, creating the formation that exists today. The first mention of this tale was found in the book Bellum Hussiticum. However, geologists believe that the column is cut out of granodiorite and originates from a central Bohemian quarry somewhere from the surroundings of Sázava.

The location of Vyšehrad is breathtakingly beautiful, offering an enchanting view from the top of a scenic hill overlooking the Vltava River and the Botič Valley. From here, you’ll be able to appreciate the panoramic landscape of the surrounding Prague Basin and the steep ravines off in the distance – which is rendered altogether more pleasing by the defining Baroque fortifications. You’ll be spoiled for choice with the highly Instagrammable pictures you’ll be clicking of the distant view of the city from here. Whether you’re here for just a day, or even two – you will not regret making a stop at this historically important site. You will be thinking about the view from atop the fortification wall, for days to come.