Page 162 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Prague

160  PR A GUE AREA B Y AREA

distinguished by its old-fashioned
Orthodox church (1924–5), and
a Jewish cemetery, where Franz
Kafka (see p70) is buried. Tombs
include those of painter Josef
Mánes (1820–71) who worked
during the Czech Revival
movement (see pp34–5), and
Josef Jungmann (1773–1847),
compiler of a five-volume
Czech–German dictionary.

Vyšehrad Cemetery, where some of Prague’s most famous figures are buried
1 Vyšehrad including the composers Antonín
Dvořák (see p154) and Bedřich
Map 5 B5. X Vyšehrad. v 3, 6, 7, Smetana (see p81), who paid
17, 18, 24. Vyšehrad Cemetery: Open
8am–6pm daily (May–Sep: to 7pm, tribute to the second seat of
Nov–Feb: to 5pm).Basilica of St Peter the Přemyslid dynasty in his
and St Paul: Open 10am–6pm daily opera Libuše (see p34). Each year,
(Sep–Mar: to 4pm). & Rotunda of a service is held at Smetana’s Equestrian statue in Žižkov of Jan Žižka,
St Martin: Open by appt (Tel: 22 49 grave to mark the beginning of leader of the Hussites at the battle of Vítkov
11 353). ∑ praha-vysehrad.cz the Prague Spring International
Music Festival (see p52). 3 Žižkov
A rocky outcrop above the Within the walls of Vyšehrad
Vltava, Vyšehrad means “castle are many fascinating sights, such X Florenc. National Memorial
Vítkov, U památníku 1900. Tel 222
on the heights” (see pp180–81). as the huge twin-spired Basilica 781 676. @ 133, 175. Open 10am–
It was fortified in the 10th of St Peter and St Paul, the 11th- 6pm Wed–Sun. & - ∑ nm.cz
century and, at times, used as century Rotunda of St Martin, Žižkov Television Tower: Open 8am–
the seat of the Přemyslid princes the mysterious Devil’s Column midnight daily. & e 0 - =
(see pp22–3). The area has great and the castle walls themselves ∑ towerpark.cz
historical and mythological (see pp180–81). From these walls,
significance, and in the 1870s, there are superb views over the This quarter of Prague was the
it became the site of a national Vltava river and across Prague. scene of a historic victory for
cemetery. Many luminaries of The streets around the fortress the Hussites (see pp28–9) over
Czech culture are buried here, feature some fine Cubist houses, Crusaders sent by the Emperor
on Rašínovo nábřeží, Libušina Sigismund to destroy them.
and the corner of Přemyslova On 14 July 1420 on Vítkov hill,
and Neklanova. a tiny force of Hussites defeated
an army of several thousand
2 Olšany well-armed men. The
determined, hymn-singing
Cemeteries Hussites were led by the
one-eyed Jan Žižka.
Olšanské Hřbitovy
In 1877, the area around
Vinohradská 153, Jana Želivského. Vítkov was renamed Žižkov in
Tel 26 73 10 652. X Želivského. honour of Žižka’s victory, and
v 5, 10, 11, 13, 16. Open Mar, Apr &
Oct: 8am–6pm daily; May–Sep: 8am– in 1950, a bronze equestrian
statue of Žižka by Bohumil
7pm daily; Nov–Feb: 8am–5pm daily.
Kafka was erected on the hill.
At the northwest corner of the About 9 m (30 ft) high, this is
main cemetery stands the small the largest equestrian statue
Church of St Roch (1682), in the world. It stands in front
protector against the plague of the National Memorial, built
– the first cemetery was in 1928–38 in honour of the
founded here in 1679 Czechoslovak legionaries, and
specifically for the burial of rebuilt and extended after
plague victims. In the course World War II. The building
of the 19th century, the old now houses a branch of the
cemetery was enlarged National Museum (see p147),
and new ones developed, a permanent exhibition
Grave in the Olšany Cemeteries including a Russian cemetery, on Czechoslovak history.

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