Vyšehrad

Vyšehrad (Czech for "upper castle") is a historical fort located in the city of Prague, Czech Republic. It was built, probably in the 10th 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, Karel Čapek, and Alphonse Mucha. It also contains Prague's oldest surviving building, 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.

History

When the Přemyslid dynasty settled on the current site of Prague Castle, the two castles maintained opposing spheres of influence for approximately two centuries. Like this the second seat of the Czech sovereigns was established on a steep rock directly above the right bank of the Vltava river, in the 10th century. The zenith of Vyšehrad was during the second half of the 11th century, when Vratislav transferred his seat from Prague Castle, and the original fort was remodelled as a complex comprising a sovereign's palatial residence, church and seat of the chapter. The period of growth ended around 1140 when Prince Soběslav moved his seat back to Prague Castle.

Vyšehrad (steamboat)

Vyšehrad is one of the last two remaining operating steamboats on the Vltava River in Prague, Czech Republic and belongs to the Prague Steamboat Company.

Vyšehrad was built in 1938 during the company's modernization in the 1930s when new boats were being bought and old ones modernized. Her original name was Antonín Švehla (a famous politician of the First Republic). Type-wise the Vyšehrad was similar to then a decade old steamers Dresden and Leipzig that belonged to SBDA Company (situated in Dresden).

It has been renamed at several points in history - Karlstein in 1942, T.G. Masaryk after World War II and Děvín in 1952. In 1992 it was completely renovated and renamed Vyšehrad. The most recent reconstruction took place in winter 2006/2007 in Laubegast shipyard in Dresden.

Technical details

Vyšehrad is 62m long and 6,2 m wide, 10,5 over the paddleboxes. It has a 165 kW (220 k) engine. Originally it could carry 885 passengers, nowadays it is 300 and 199 of them can be seated. Its maximum speed is approximately 17 km/h.

Vyšehrad (Prague Metro)

Vyšehrad (Czech pronunciation: [ˈvɪʃɛɦrat]) is a Prague Metro station on Line C.

The station was opened on 9 May 1974. The station serves Vyšehrad and was formerly known as Gottwaldova.