Vysehrad and its legends

Vysehrad as a seat of Kings

Vysehrad was a seat of the first King of Bohemia in the 11th century. There is also an old legend about the Premyslid dynasty which tells that Legendary Princess Libuse ruled from this castle together with her husband Premysl.

The importance of Vysehrad

Vysehrad was built in the 10th century and became a seat of Premyslid dynasty. During the reign of Vratislav II., the first Bohemian King, Vysehrad’s importance became growing as he made Vysehrad his residence. Another important period of Vysehrad was when Charles IV. noticed that every future Bohemian king has to go to Vysehrad the day before the coronation.

Unfortunately Vysehrad was badly damaged during the Hussite wars.

Legend about the treasure

There is also a legend about the treasure that ought to be hidden by Premyslid rulers in a cave somewhere in Vysehrad. However, the real treasure is Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque monstrances, crosses, and cups. So this is the third most important treasure in Prague after the Prague Castle treasure and the Loreta treasure.

Interesting and mystic object

You can find one very interesting object in Vysehrad – the Devil’s Column which is a formation of three stone columns. They may be a part of the former Romanesque Basilica or it could be a column for measuring time. There is a story about the devil that threw the stones to Vysehrad in anger because the bet which he lost with a priest.