Vyšehrad: Site of ancient Czech legends with beautiful views of Prague

Difficulty Rating: Difficult
Route Length: 2,5 km
Download: Four Accessible Walks in Prague 1

The site is relatively hard to access. Movement along the route is complicated not only by frequent sections with rough historical pavement, but also by a pronounced longitudinal slope of some paths or a lateral slope of the pavements. We strongly recommend an escort for this walk.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

|→ Tábor Gate (Táborská brána) → Leopold Gate (Leopoldova brána) → Královská a knížecí akropole (The Royal and Princely Acropolis) →
 
Vyšehrad, unfortunately, does not have an ideal access route, but for its unique charm it is worth overcoming occasional elevations and uneven terrain.

The best access option is to drive by car directly to the premises and park in front of the Jedličkův Institute (between the Leopold and Tábor gates) in a small parking lot with a reserved parking space.

Those who choose public transportation can use the H1 special bus line and exit at the stop “Jedličkův ústav” in the Mikuláše z Husi Street and continue via Na Pankráci Street to the Tábor Gate. The footpaths in this section have adequate sidewalk ramps and a good quality surface. The street descends slightly in a long-drawn slope (5-6%).

You can also travel to close proximity of Vyšehrad by metro, line C but it is necessary to exit on the platform in the direction from the centre; the opposite platform is not barrier-free. From the metro exit to the adjacent park there is a four-armed ramp (maximum slope 8%). Via an asphalt road with an occasional incline, we continue to Na Bučance Street. At the end of the street, at the intersection with Lumírova St., we need to overcome two crosswalks with a combination of longitudinal and lateral inclination.

Before the Tábor Gate, which forms the entrance to the outer Baroque fortifi cation of Vyšehrad, there is diffi cult part with a rough pavement. Behind Tábor Gate we continue through V Pevnosti Street along the left-hand sidewalk with mosaic tiles, occasional unevenness and a slight transverse slope to the Leopold Gate, where there is again a short section of a very poor-quality tile pavement. The Leopold Gate is a beautiful structure with a central passage and side passageways for walking, decorated with columns and a coat of arms combining the symbols of the Habsburgs and those of the Kingdom of Bohemia. It is therefore worthwhile to look up for a moment and briefly enjoy this Baroque splendor.

Just a few meters behind the Leopold Gate there is a turn to Soběslavova Street. It has an asphalt surface, but at the beginning it rises 15% for about 20 meters towards a large and imaginative playground for children with the theme of old Czech legends. Continue straight ahead to the central area of T he Royal and Princely Acropolis (Královská a knížecí akropole), or turn left and follow a steep asphalt road to the outer fortification, from where you will a have beautiful views of the Podolí riverside and the Vltava. Along the Baroque bastion, behind the Old Burgrave’s House, we descend to the Acropolis via a thirty-meter walkway with very rough stone pavement and a 15% slope.

The extensive Royal and Princely Acropolis in Vyšehrad is the place where the Premyslid castle once stood. Remains of the foundations of two palace buildings, the torso of a Romanesque bridge connecting the castle with the temple, The Old Burgrave’s House (Staré purkrabství), the former guard tower, and two wells were preserved. In the middle of the 20th century, sculptures by J.V. Myslbek, depicting Czech mythological themes, were moved here from the Palacký Bridge. Also located here is the Gothic cellar (Gotický sklep) with an exhibition on Vyšehrad’s historical appearance.
According to ancient legends, Vyšehrad was the oldest seat of Czech princes, but in fact the local settlement arose later than Prague Castle, around the middle of the 10th century. The rocky promontory above the Vltava offers unequalled views of the city.

The airy and open grassy area underwent an extensive alteration in 2002–2006. The flat area of t he park is criss-crossed by highquality footpaths connecting the major points. The perimeter roadis paved, with a narrow asphalt strip, but a lower quality pavement is in the section between the Old Burgrave’s House and the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul (Bazilika sv. Petra a Pavla).

→ Štulcova Street → Štulcovy sady → Vyšehrad Cemetery →

From the Acropolis, the route will lead us along the inaccessible entrance to the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul. The church dominates the Vyšehrad complex. Since its founding in the 11th century, it has undergone many alterations; the latest appearance of the façade is neo-Gothic.

We continue along the adjacent Štulcova Street and further on the road with a rough pavement. The sidewalk is paved with smaller mosaic tiles but has a pronounced lateral inclination (5-10% slope). Here you will also find public toilets with a small but modified cabin.

In the curve of the street we find the entrance to Štulcovy sady, a park with an intimate atmosphere, linden trees, and an early Baroque sculpture of St. Wenceslas. The area is flat with good quality paths covered by fine crushed stone. The outer path of the orchard paved with moderately rough tiles and a slight slope leads by the eastern side of the orchard to another magnificent viewpoint of the Castle District panorama.

We will leave Štulcovy sady, and via a roughly paved road, around the Nové probošství (New Provost’s residence) building we will reach the northern entrance to Vyšehrad Cemetery and Slavín. The extensive area is the final resting place of many personalities of Czech culture and academia. It creates a distinctive artistic ensemble, which is also a unique exhibition of funerary sculpture and a manifestation of the artistic development of Czech culture from the mid-19th century to the present.

Behind the metal entrance gate there is +1 step with a steep straight ramp (see Recommended Landmarks on the Route).

The complex is divided into fifteen sections by a net of paths with mosaic tiles with an occasional inclination. Access is possible to most parts of the area; stairs can be bypassed.

Through the cemetery we get to the southern gate by the main façade of the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, along which we will continue via the sidewalk with a variable slope (3–5%) and several local constrictions (width of at least 76 cm) up to Karlach Park (Karlachovy sady). At the crossing of Soběslavova Street in front of the park, we encounter a rough surface of the lowered curbs of the crossing itself.

→ Karlach Park (Karlachovy sady) → K Rotundě → V Pevnosti →|

In the park, named after its founder Mikuláš Karlach, we find the stone sculpture of St. John of Nepomuk, a Neo-Gothic well, and newly also the sculpture of the provost Karlach. The park has nice wide sandy paths with a flat surface lined with linden trees.

Going between the well and the building of the Royal Chapter, we take the right sidewalk/pavement, which leads along K Rotundě street to V Pevnosti street. At the end of the pavement is a lowered kerb, and the route continues along the cobbled roadway.

Before we head back to the Leopold Gate, we can enjoy a view of another extraordinary Vyšehrad monument, the rotunda of St. Martin, which is the oldest preserved structure of this type in Prague.
The largest and oldest preserved rotunda on the territory of Prague dates from the second half of the 11th century. It narrowly escaped demolition several times; during the Thirty Years’ War it was used for gunpowder storage. Its walls are 95 to 97 cm thick.

 

Recommended Landmarks on the Route

The Old Burgrave’s Residence – Cultural Center & Café (Staré purkrabství – kulturní centrum s kavárnou)
Vyšehrad, Praha 2, www.praha-vysehrad.cz

• access via the main entrance (single-leaf door width 100 cm)
• interior manoeuvring space is sufficient
• passages minimum width of 80 cm
• partially accessible toilet on the ground floor (door width 81 cm; stall: width 140-158 cm, depth 178
  
  

Gothic Cellar – Exhibition on Vyšehrad‘s Historical Appearance
Vyšehrad, Praha 2, www.praha-vysehrad.cz

• access via the side entrance (double-leaf door width 2x95 cm)
• inclined platform lift (platform area: width 89 cm, depth 122 cm, load capacity 250 kg) to the basement with the main exposition
• interior manoeuvring space is sufficient
• passages minimum width of 80 cm
  
  

Vyšehrad Cemetery and Slavín
Vyšehrad, Praha 2, www.praha-vysehrad.cz

• rough historical pavement on access roads
• access via the southern entrance (two-wing gate width 2x72 cm) over a lowered curb (height 4-7 cm)
• access via the northern entrance (two-wing gate width 2x75 cm) and over a steep single-arm ramp (slope 18%, width 125 cm, length 120 cm)
• manoeuvring space in the complex is sufficient
• passages minimum width of 80 cm
• road surfaces of mosaic pavements
• slope of roads in the complex is maximum 10%

TOILETS

Public Toilet: V Pevnosti

• located in a separate building on the street V Pevnosti
• access from a porch directly to the stall
• accessible toilet (door width 80 cm; stall: width 196 cm, depth 208 cm)
• space next to the toilet bowl is sufficient (width 120 cm)
• the toilet bowl is equipped with one folding and one permanent handle

Detailed descriptions of the accessibility of the recommended and other properties on the route can be found at pragueaccessibilitymap.eu.