Whether they come to relax, pay tribute to famous personalities buried in the local cemetery, enjoy the view of Prague or learn about its history, visitors repeatedly return to Vyšehrad. Visitors can admire the underground space below the bastion fort in Vyšehrad, where rare sculptures from Charles Bridge can be found.
Visiting the intricate system of local casemates is a unique experience, especially considering that it is one of the oldest and best-preserved Baroque fortresses in Central Europe.
Prussian detonation plan
‘Cihelná brána’ (The Brick Gate) is an entry to the Vyšehrad casemates, which were built in the year 1841. It consists of passage for coaches and two pedestrian passages, with a guardhouse at the side. The information centre is located here today.
The system of underground passages is much older than the Brick Gate. It was built with the bastion fort in the 17th and 18th centuries. The metre-and-a-half-wide corridors on either side of the Brick Gate were used for the movement of troops.
The Prussian Army placed 133 barrels of gunpowder in the underground passages, meant to be detonated by the last soldier, at the end of the Prussian War in November 1744. Fortunately, three Czech men managed to disarm them.
The largest underground hall of its kind
The corridor on the right-hand side, which opens into an underground hall called Gorlice, is the only one that is open to the public. And here you will discover the real treasure.
The tour guides can tell you that Gorlice is the largest underground space in Vyšehrad. With an area of 300 square metres and at 13 metres high, it even ranks among the largest halls of its kind.
It used to serve as storage for food and weapons, and as a rallying point for the army in case of emergency. It was also meant to serve as a possible air cover if necessary.
Original sculptures worn over time
The six original statues from Charles Bridge are an invaluable treasure hidden here. These Baroque statues were on Charles Bridge for nearly 300 years but were damaged over time. Therefore, it was necessary to replace them with copies, and the originals found a new home in Gorlice.