Why go
The castle and Vyšehrad are more than viewpoints: their positions show why people defended opposite stretches of the Vltava valley. Malá Strana and Old Town then reveal how settlement spread toward trade and the crossing between the banks. The river remains the clearest link between them.
The full story
Settlements existed in the Prague area before the medieval city. By the ninth century, a fortified centre was taking shape on the site of Prague Castle. Vyšehrad, another Přemyslid stronghold, rose later to the south. Their elevated positions still explain much of the city map: each looks over the river and the lower ground where people traded and built homes. Prague became a seat of Bohemian dukes and kings, and merchants from across Europe came to its markets. A bridge built in the twelfth century crossed the Vltava before Charles Bridge existed; the later bridge replaced it after flood damage. On the left bank, Malá Strana was founded in 1257 below the castle, opposite the older settlement of Staré Město. The legend of Libuše and Přemysl offers a story of Prague's founding, but the castle, fort and river crossing give a clearer picture of how the city actually grew.