Day trips - Prague and the Czech Republic - page 175

Cross (built to house the crown jewels)—can be seen only with an
advance reservation.
Cost and Tours: The Chapel of the Holy Cross—basically the
only thing inside Karlštejn worth seeing—is part of tour Route II
(300 Kč). You can only visit this route with a group (15 people max-
imum per group, 1 group per hour), and reservations are required
(30-Kč reservation fee per person, tel. [phone] or 274-008-155,
[e-mail]). Route I is nowhere near as interesting (220
Kč, no reservation required, bigger groups, shorter tour).
Hours and Information: May-Sept Tue-Sun 9:00-12:00 &
13:00-18:00; April and Oct Tue-Sun 9:00-12:00 & 13:00-15:00;
closed Nov-March and Mon year-round; tel. [phone], www
.hradkarlstejn.cz.
From Karlštejn Castle, an easy one-hour hike along the red-
marked trail leads away from the tourists through a quiet forest to
Srbsko. There, you'll find two good Czech restaurants and a train
station (the Karlštejn-Prague train stops in Srbsko).
tranSportation ConneCtionS
Getting to Karlštejn: The castle, 20 miles southwest of Prague, is
accessible by train (2/hr, 40 min, then a 20-min walk; depart from
Prague's Smíchov Station) or by car (30 min, direction Plzeň).
Křivoklát Castle
Křivoklát (KREE-vohk-laht), an original 14th-century castle,
is beautiful for its simplicity and setting, amid hills and deep
woods near the lovely Berounka River valley. Originally a hunt-
ing residence of Czech kings, it was later transformed into a royal
prison that “entertained” a number of distinguished guests, among
them the most notorious alchemist of the 1500s, the Englishman
Edward Kelly.
In summer, Křivoklát comes alive with craftspeople—
woodcarvers, blacksmiths, and basket-weavers—who work as if
it were the 15th century. The absence of tacky souvenir shops, the
plain Gothic appearance, and the background noise of hammers
and wood chisels give Křivoklát an engaging character.
The tour of the interior lasts a sensible half hour. The high-
light is the king's audience hall, with its delicately arched ceiling.
Cost, Hours, Information: 1 50 Kč w ith an Engl ish-spea k ing
guide; 100 Kč if you go with a Czech group (pick up an explana-
tion sheet in English, and you'll be fine with the Czechs). Open
June-Aug Tue-Sun 9:00-12:00 & 13:00-17:00, closed Mon;