Vyšehrad, Prague

Vyšehrad spreads across a rocky height above the Vltava: a historic stronghold that became a castle and, later, a fortress. The landscaped grounds preserve Prague’s oldest rotunda, St Martin’s, and the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. Near the basilica, the cemetery and Slavín memorial hold many leading Czech figures; Dvořák, Smetana, Čapek, and Mucha are among them.

Its documented medieval settlement begins late in the tenth century, despite the older tales attached to this place. During the seventeenth century it was remade as a Baroque fortress, meaning a defensive complex shaped by the dramatic curves and mass of that era. The brick ramparts and bastions around you belong to that transformation. Since nineteen sixty-two, this park-like enclosure has held national cultural monument status.