history and myths
VYŠEHRAD ROCK OF CZECH HISTORY
Vyšehrad is a place whose appearance has been shaped over thousands of years by ideas connected with the history of the Czech nation. It was the seat of the first Czech king, Vratislav, who founded a church chapter here that was directly subordinate to the pope. During the reign of Charles IV, it became part of Prague – its guardian and the support of royal power. After the Thirty Years' War, it was rebuilt into a massive fortress, a symbol of imperial military power and the main armory of Bohemia. In the 19th century, it became the focus of Czech patriots and a symbol of the nation's distant past and hopes for the future. Today, Vyšehrad is a city park, a popular tourist destination, and an important cultural center.
Discover its story!
Myths and history at Vyšehrad
Krok and his daughters
Although we associate Vyšehrad with the oldest Czech legends, where Duke Krok and his daughters Kazi, Teta, and Libuše resided, we do not actually know where it was located. It was probably somewhere in the vicinity of Berounka, 30 km from here. Vyšehrad is mentioned in the oldest chronicles only in connection with the Girls' Wars, which broke out after the death of Princess Libuše and which, as is well known, did not end well for women.
Where Šemík jumped from
Who doesn't know the legend of Horymír and his brave horse Šemík, who saved him by jumping from the Vyšehrad rock? However, there is no mention of Šemík in the oldest chronicles. The story was first recorded by Václav Hájek of Libočany in his Czech Chronicle, and was probably inspired by the true story of the robber baron Eppelein of Gailingen.
Děvín and Chrasten
Kosmas' chronicle states that after the death of Princess Libuše, women who were not subordinate to men built their own fortified castle on a rock near Prague Castle and called it Děvín. The men were angry with them and built a castle on another rock, among the brushwood, which we know today as Vyšehrad. It is from this "brushwood" that the oldest documented name of Vyšehrad – Chrasten – may have originated.
