Vyšehrad Castle

Vyšehrad
Type	Cultural
Coordinates	50°03′51″N 14°25′10″E / 50.06417°N 14.41944°E / 50.06417; 14.41944Coordinates: 50°03′51″N 14°25′10″E / 50.06417°N 14.41944°E / 50.06417; 14.41944
Built	mid-10th century
Architectural style(s)	Romanesque, Gothics, Neo-Gothic, Baroque
Location of Vyšehrad in Czech Republic

Vyšehrad (Czech for "upper castle") is a historic fort located in the city of Prague, Czech Republic, just over 3 km southeast of Prague Castle, on the right bank of the Vltava River. It was built probably in the 10th century. Situated within the fort 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, Karel Čapek, and Alphonse Mucha. It also contains one of Prague's oldest surviving buildings, the Rotunda of St. Martin from the 11th century.

Local legend holds that Vyšehrad was the location of the first settlement which later became Prague, though thus far this claim remains 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. The zenith of Vyšehrad was during the second half of the 11th century, when Vratislav transferred his seat from Prague Castle to Vyšehrad, and the original fort was remodelled as a complex comprising the sovereign's palatial residence, a church, and the seat of the chapter. The period of growth ended around 1140 when Prince Soběslav moved his seat back to Prague Castle.

When Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV began to build the Prague Castle in its current dimensions in the early 14th century, the deteriorating Vyšehrad was abandoned as a royal seat. Later the whole complex was renewed by Charles IV and new fortifications, with two gates and a royal palace were built, while the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul awaited repair. At the beginning of the Hussite Wars, Vyšehrad was conquered and ransacked by the Hussites in 1420 and then again in 1448 by the troops of King George of Poděbrady. The castle was then abandoned and became ruined. It underwent a renovation in the 17th century, when the Habsburg Monarchy took over the Czech lands after the Thirty Years' War and remodelled it in 1654 as a Baroque fortress, turning it into a training centre for the Austrian Army, and later incorporating it into the Baroque city walls.