Vyšehrad: A Must-See When Visiting Prague 2023 (with video)
Prague is a city full of history, culture, and beauty, and there is no shortage of things to see and do. However, if you only have limited time in the city, you may be wondering what the must-sees are. Well, one place that should definitely be on your list is Vyšehrad.
Here is my 360 VR virtual travel walk video below when I visited.
If using a mobile device, then open video on YouTube to get full 360 effect.
Vyšehrad is a castle (translated as “upper castle” in Czech) that is located just outside of the city center to the south away from the dense tourist areas and right on the Vltava River. It sits on a massive rock overlooking the river.
The castle has a long and varied history, having been used as a royal residence, a military fortress, and even a prison. These days, it is open to the public and is a popular tourist and locals’ destination.
The castle grounds are beautiful and offer stunning views of the city below. In addition to the castle itself, there are also several churches and cemeteries located within the Vyšehrad complex.
Below are some non 360 short video of Vysehrad shot with Insta360 X3 and created with its built in AI.
A Brief History of Vyšehrad
Vyšehrad has a long and storied history dating back to the 11th century. The castle was built by Prince Vratislaus I of Bohemia in order to serve as a seat of power for the Přemyslid dynasty. Over the centuries, the castle changed hands several times and was even besieged on multiple occasions.
In 1848, the castle was Used as a military fortress during the Prague Uprising against Austrian rule. And in 1866, it served as a prison for Czech patriot Ján Palárik during his trial for high treason.
Nowadays, Vyšehrad is open to the public and is one of Prague’s most popular tourist destinations. In addition to exploring the castle grounds, visitors can also check out some of the other historical sites within the complex, including several churches and cemeteries.
What to See at Vyšehrad
There are plenty of things to see when you visit Vyšehrad Castle. The castle grounds are lovely and offer magnificent views of Prague. It sits right on the Vltava River and you can see Prague castle in the distance upriver.
There is no entrance fee for Vyšehrad, but there are a couple of areas that require paid guided tours such as the casements.
The Brick Gate and Casemates and Gorlice Hall
In my video I enter through the Brick Gate (recommend pause at beginning of video to see surrounding walls before I walk in). The Brick Gate is one of several gates that lead into Vysehrad.
15/16 on map above.
Within this gate is the entrance to the guided tour for the Casemates and Gorlice Hall.
The casemates are the underground corridors that were used for fast troop movement and Gorlice hall is one of the large halls in the casemates that now hold a few of the original baroque statues from Charles Bridge (and I have a video on Charles Bridge as well )
Ducal and Royal Acropolis
This was where the palace used to sit near where the Basilica sits now.
It now has a park with statues featuring Czech myths, and leads to a fortified promenade with vineyards that overlooks the river and Prague.
I walk through here to the river view.
Rotunda of St. Martin
It dates back to the 10th century; it is said to be the oldest church in Prague and from Romanesque style.
7 on map above.
Vyšehrad Cemetery
Its where many famous Czechs are buried and acts as a national cemetery.
Slavin is the shared tomb where the most famous Czech personalities are buried.
I have several clips in my video walking through this beautiful cemetery.
13 on map above.
St Peter and Paul Basilica
It the towering centerpiece of the Vysehrad complex and can be seen all around Prague from its high perch.
It’s a neo-Gothic church originally built in 1080 but has been rebuilt over the years.
It is usually open everyday and it does have an entrance fee.
I took a peek inside with the picture above.
In the video you will see it several times in the background and as I walk up to it with its ornate doors.
12 on map above.
Vysehrad Hill and Vltava River
The hill rises steeply from the Vltava River, and as you can see from my pictures, there are some great views. You can also see multiple bridges.
Also a very nice park with vineyards there.
You can also see in the distance Prague Castle, where I did a video and blog post as well. You can also see Petrin Hill and tower as well.
This 5 ⭐ tour below has 69 reviews and starts in Vysehrad and also visits Petrin Hill and Prague Castle area and is about 4 hours long. See link for more info and reviews and price.
Where to stay nearby and how to get there
I stayed at the Hotel Hermitage Prague which is a 10-minute walking distance from Vysehrad. It was affordable with nice rooms and staff.
Vysehrad sits in more of a local area than the hustle and bustle of Old Prague tourist area but is easy to get there walking along the river for 30 minutes and enjoying the views along the way.
Uber in Prague?
Uber is available in town and is more trustworthy than local taxis since you get the price and pay on your app. Also 24-hour travel passes are available for public transportation and was only about $5 a day.
360 VR Virtual Travel
360 VR is the best way to see locations before you go or to see places you may never go in person yourself.
I have 360 VR travel videos from all over the world on my YouTube channel.
I shot the above videos and even shoot some pictures using the Insta360 X3 camera.
My 360 video provides a better sense of presence and a better idea of what it will actually be like to visit rather than static pictures or even regular videos which only give a limited view of your surroundings.
The best way to experience the 360 VR video is to open it directly in YouTube and then make sure you change settings to maximum resolution.
This is especially true if you are on mobile.
You can also use a VR headset such as Oculus Meta Quest 2 , and for the best experience I recommend sitting in a swivel chair.
