Slowly decaying, the abandoned Vyšehrad Train Station whispers tales of forgotten journeys. This Art Nouveau gem stands in quiet grandeur. It is a crumbling beauty laden with graffiti. Many tourists do not venture here. The Vyšehrad Train Station waits for a new facelift.
Let’s step back in time. The project to build a railway station in the Vyšehrad district started in 1867. This was in connection with the proposal to build the Prague connecting line. It was to connect the Smíchov railway station with the railway station of Franz Joseph. Today, this is the main railway station.
The construction was completed in 1870. Two years later, operation on the intersection commenced. The station first operated temporarily. Then plans for rebuilding were made. In 1904, the new building was built. It opened a year later. Antonín Balšánek is considered the designer. He was also the co-author of the Municipal House.
Although Vyšehrad became part of Prague in 1883, the name Praha-Vyšehrad remained until 1942. The station was on a busy route. But it was only 20 years old. In 1960, it was turned into a dump. Since then, the Vyšehrad Train Station building has been unused.
In 1990, the first and most recent repair attempt took place. The art nouveau building became a cultural monument in 2001. But no one is trying to save it. The state of the building is getting worse. Since 2007, a foreign company has owned it. They have not been interested in it for years. Any attempts at reconstruction are binding. The owner does not communicate with the municipality or the building office.
Part of the Vyšehrad Train Station used to be a wooden waiting area. It was also listed as a listed building. But it was unlawfully destroyed in 2008. You may not know that part of the building used to feature a statue of a lion made of artificial stone. There was also a small fountain and figures of a vodka and a bear.
At the turn of the 1940s and 1950s, a stone workshop was located under the Nusel Bridge. In 2001, the animals disappeared. According to some information, the stone workshop at the railway station lent them. Today, they are located again in her garden. This workshop is willing to make copies and return them to their original place. But only in case of a reconstruction.
The neighborhood is beautiful. It is surrounded by the known Cubist homes of Vyšehrad. These include the Kovarovic Villa, the ancient Vyšehrad fortress, the fabled Vltava River and the Charles University Botanic Gardens.
In 2007, the city district of Prague 2 offered Czech Railways a free transfer. They wanted to build a cultural and social center here. After 1989 Czech Railways decided to get rid of some unused assets. Vyšehrad station was one of them as it was used only very occasionally.
Only time will tell the fate of this beautiful Art Nouveau structure. It could be used for a social complex with cafes, kiosks, and gallery space. What a waste of such incredible beauty. It sits slowly falling apart. It is years away from its heyday. Hopefully in due time, it will receive the costly renovation it needs.