Vyšehrad

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tourist attraction • landmark • castle • castles • historical • château • citadel • fort • fortress • fortification  add tags

Description

Vyšehrad is a castle located in the Czech Republic, built in the tenth century, on a hill over the Vltava River. Situated within the castle is the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul, as well as the Vyšehrad cemetery, containing the remains of many famous people from Czech history, among them Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana and Karel Čapek.

Vyšehrad and the area around it became part of the capital city, Prague, in 1883. The area is one of the cadastral districts of the city.

History

The fortress was originally built in the tenth century. Local legend holds that Vyšehrad was the location of the first settlement which would later become Prague, though thus far this claim is unsubstantiated.

When the Přemyslid dynasty settled on the current site of Prague Castle, the two castles maintained opposing spheres of influence for approximately two centuries. When Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV began to build the Prague Castle in its current dimensions (in the early 14th century), Vyšehrad was abandoned as a royal home.

At the beginning of the Hussite Wars, it was captured by the Hussites.

It underwent a renovation in the 17th century, when the Habsburg Monarchy took over the Czech lands after the Thirty Years' War and became a training center for the Austrian Army. It was also incorporated into the Baroque era city walls around Prague.

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