Basilica of Sts Peter & Paul

Vyšehrad’s stately Gothic-spired Basilica of Sts Peter & Paul (bazilika.kkvys.cz) looms over the skyline and plays an analogous – though lower-key – role to Prague Castle’s St Vitus as a royal cathedral (without, of course, any castle to attach to). The structure was built and rebuilt several times over the centuries. Like nearly everything here, the basilica suffered greatly from neglect and damage during the wars of the 15th and 17th centuries. Its arresting twin spires date from the 19th century and an architectural craze that gripped Prague at the time known as "neo-Gothic." The interior is richly decorated with ornamental art-nouveau wall paintings.