The old fortress, originally the Medieval castle, Vyšehrad, founded in the second half of the 10th century and used as the seat of Bohemian kings, is located on a hill just above the river Vltava, not far away from the town centre. Besides monuments, it offers splendid panoramic views, large green open space for various recreational activities and a quiet, peaceful atmosphere away from the crowds. The oldest surviving building in Prague, Roman rotunda of St. Martin from the 11th century, is worth seeing. The dominating construction of Vyšehrad is the gothic Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul.
Behind the church, there is the main attraction of the fortress - the Vyšehrad Cemetery (Vyšehradský hřbitov), sometimes referred to as Slavin Cemetery, which was established in 1869 on the grounds of Vyšehrad castle. It is final resting place of the most honoured and distinguished Czech artists, composers, writers or politicians, e.g. Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana (famous Czech composers), Emmy Destinn (opera singer), Jan Neruda, Karel Čapek (prominent Czech writers), or Mikoláš Aleš and Max Švabinský (valued Czech painters). The central monument of the cemetery is Slavín Pantheon, designed by Antoní Wiehl.
Vyšehrad