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Vyšehrad: What to See, Fun Facts and History of Prague’s Fortress
What to see at Vyšehrad, from St. Martin's Rotunda and Slavín to the underground casemates, plus the legends and history of Prague's fortress. At the end: how to explore it as a team game.
If you’re wondering what to see at Vyšehrad, you’ve got a clear plan for a whole afternoon. The park grounds above the Vltava hide the Romanesque St. Martin’s Rotunda, the Neo-Gothic Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, the Slavín national burial ground and underground casemates holding originals of some of the Baroque statues from Charles Bridge. The promontory above the river opens up views of Prague. According to legend, this is the oldest seat of the Czech dukes. We’ll walk through the sights, the numbers and the fortress’s history, and at the end we’ll show you how to explore Vyšehrad as a team game with a tablet in hand.
Vyšehrad by the Numbers
Before you head out, a few numbers help. The dates show how long people kept building on the rock, and the underground figures show how much of the fortress lies below the surface.
The grounds are open to the public free of charge year-round. Tickets are only sold for guided tour routes, typically into the underground.
- The grounds of the former hillfort, castle and fortress are a National Cultural Monument.
- The first written records of Vyšehrad date back to 1070.
- Vyšehrad has been part of Prague since 1883.
- The casemates were built together with the fortifications between 1653 and 1678.
- The underground consists of four separate sections totaling almost 1,000 m.
- Tour routes through the entire casemate system have been open to visitors since 2024.
Vyšehrad Fun Facts
The massive rock above the Vltava drew settlers from the earliest times and became the subject of many legends. The best known revolve around Princess Libuše; according to tradition, she lived here and prophesied the future glory of Prague from this spot.
The Devil’s Column (Čertův sloup) stands next to the basilica. Legend has it that it’s what’s left of a lost bet between a priest and the devil.
An underground network runs beneath the ramparts. The best known are probably the casemates leading from the Brick Gate (Cihelná brána) to the so-called Gorlice. The underground Gorlice hall holds originals of Baroque statues.
The casemates were used to move the garrison unseen, and also as storage and living quarters. Today, tour routes run through them.
During World War II, the Podolí casemates were converted into air raid shelters for an SS military hospital in Prague-Podolí. Postwar stories of the so-called Vyšehrad Riders (vyšehradští jezdci), a notorious street gang of Prague youths, are tied to the place as well. Their tunnels still show traces left by people searching for treasures and by adventurers who tried to uncover hidden underground spaces. Hunting for treasures at Vyšehrad is a tradition older than any app.
What to See at Vyšehrad
Start at the basilica. The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul became Vyšehrad’s main church, and its slender towers form the silhouette you’ll recognize the rock by from the embankment.
Right next to it lies Vyšehrad Cemetery with the Slavín tomb, the final resting place of many figures of Czech culture.
Then head to the rotunda. St. Martin’s Rotunda is the oldest surviving church building in Prague. The entrance to the Martin Casemates is right behind St. Martin’s Rotunda. Inside waits one of Vyšehrad’s unique sights, the former Church of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, buried in the fortress rampart behind the Neo-Baroque chapel of Panna Marie Šancovská (Our Lady of the Ramparts).
Ramparts run around the perimeter of the fortress. Vyšehrad is a favorite spot for walks with views of Prague and many major landmarks.
The Vyšehrad grounds are wheelchair accessible, but some buildings and tour routes aren’t, due to their historic character. The casemates and the Gorlice hall are only partially accessible, with an escort; the surface is compacted gravel, uneven and gently sloping uphill.
Tickets for the tour routes are sold for set time slots. Guided private tours on request are for groups of at least 10 people.
Book a guided tour or tickets for a specific time slot in advance. These routes lead underground:
- Casemates to Gorlice
- Martin Casemates
- Casemates to the Redan
- Podolí Casemates
History of the Fortress
The first reliable evidence of the Vyšehrad hillfort dates to the 10th century, when Duke Boleslaus II’s denarii were minted here.
Vyšehrad’s most glorious era is linked to the first crowned Czech king, Vratislaus II, who chose Vyšehrad as his seat and rebuilt it on a monumental scale. He founded the royal acropolis and the royal chapter with the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul.
Vyšehrad then served as a royal castle, briefly as a ruler’s seat, became a town and later a Baroque fortress, a form it has kept to this day. At the end of the 19th century, Vyšehrad became a national symbol and the burial ground of great Czech figures.
Vyšehrad is part of the Prague Heritage Reserve, which is on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. So one hill holds a Romanesque rotunda, a Neo-Gothic basilica and Baroque ramparts side by side, which makes a walk through the grounds a crash course in Czech history in a single park.
Vyšehrad for a Company Outing
Treasure Hunt Vyšehrad turns a walk around the fortress into a team game. Teams get tablets or phones with our GPS app and look for treasures on the on-screen map, around the basilica, on the ramparts and by the rotunda.
Treasures open on screen once the team gets within roughly 10 to 40 m. The exact radius varies from one to the next depending on the terrain. Treasures come with a question the team can only answer by taking a proper look around.
In Treasure Hunt, the team sees all the treasures on the map and picks the order itself. The winner isn’t the smartest or the fastest team, but the most patient and observant one.
The game has 36 treasures, and the recommended time is 1.5 to 2 hours. More treasures mostly mean more room for strategy.
Some treasures swap the question for a photo task, like a team photo at Slavín or by the Devil’s Column. The photos stay as a keepsake of the afternoon when colleagues argued about which way to go next.
You can book the game as self-service or as a full-service program, where our instructors bring the tablets and kick off the game. We’ve been running Treasure Hunts since 2013.
Every booking comes with a safety net. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we swap the outdoor game for a story game in indoor mode in the venue you’ve already booked, and the program runs on the original date.
For a full-day program, you can combine Vyšehrad with Treasure Hunt Prague in the historic center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you pay to enter Vyšehrad? The grounds are open free of charge all year; tickets are only sold for tour routes, such as the casemates.
Why stop at the rotunda? St. Martin’s Rotunda is the oldest surviving church building in Prague, and the Martin Casemates start right behind it.
How do you get underground? Among other routes, the casemates lead from the Brick Gate to the Gorlice hall, where original Baroque statues are kept.
How long does Treasure Hunt Vyšehrad take? The game takes 1.5 to 2 hours and leads the team past the basilica, along the ramparts and to the rotunda.
What if it rains on the day of the event? The program runs on the original date; we just swap the outdoor game for a story game in indoor mode.
There’s step-free access to the grounds from the Vyšehrad metro station. Plan on having time left after the game for the underground or a quiet walk along the ramparts.
Want to see Vyšehrad differently than by the signs at the landmarks? Treasure Hunt Vyšehrad takes you past the basilica and the rotunda and along the ramparts through the eyes of a team closing in on more treasures. Send us your date and number of players, and we’ll prepare the route and tablets for your team.
Treasure Hunt Vyšehrad
Our instructors run the game with tablets, or you start it yourselves on your phones. Tell us the number of people and the date, we will get back to you the same day.
Summary
- The Vyšehrad grounds are open free of charge year-round, and tickets are only sold for tour routes, typically into the underground casemates.
- St. Martin's Rotunda is the oldest surviving church building in Prague, and the entrance to the Martin Casemates is right behind it.
- The Vyšehrad underground consists of four separate sections totaling almost 1,000 m, and the Gorlice hall holds original Baroque statues.
- The casemates were built together with the fortifications between 1653 and 1678, and tour routes through the entire system have been open since 2024.
- Treasure Hunt Vyšehrad has 36 treasures, takes 1.5 to 2 hours and, in bad weather, runs on the original date in indoor mode.
Want to experience Vyšehrad as a team game? Write to us or call and we will prepare Treasure Hunt Vyšehrad for your date.
