Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
Perched high on a crag overlooking the Berounka River, Karlštejn was born of a
grand pedigree, starting life in 1348 as a hideaway for the crown jewels and treasury
of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. Run by an appointed burgrave, the castle was
surrounded by a network of landowning knight-vassals, who came to the castle's aid
whenever enemies moved against it.
Karlštejn again sheltered the Bohemian and the Holy Roman Empire crown jewels
during the Hussite Wars of the early 15th century, but fell into disrepair as its defences
became outmoded. Considerable restoration work, not least by Josef Mocker - the
king of Prague's neo-Gothic architecture - in the late 19th century has returned the
castle to its former glory.
Guided Tours
Admission to the castle is by guided tour only; there are three tours available in Eng-
lish. Tour 1 (adult/child 270/180Kč, 50 minutes) passes through the
Knight's Hall
,
still daubed with the coats-of-arms and names of the knight-vassals,
Charles IV's
Bedchamber
, the
Audience Hall
, and the
Jewel House
, which includes treas-
ures from the Chapel of the Holy Cross and a replica of the St Wenceslas Crown.
Tour 2 (adult/child 300/200Kč, 70 minutes, May to October only) must be booked
in advance and takes in the
Marian Tower
, with the Church of the Virgin Mary and
the Chapel of St Catherine, then moves on to the Great Tower for the castle's star at-
traction, the exquisite
Chapel of the Holy Cross
. Designed by Charles IV for the
safekeeping of the crown jewels of the Holy Roman Empire, and of sacred relics of
the Crucifixion, the chapel's walls and vaulted ceiling are adorned with thousands of
polished semiprecious stones set in gilt stucco in the form of crosses, and with reli-
gious and heraldic paintings. For Tour 2, book as far in advance as possible.
Tour 3 (adult/child 120/60Kč, 40 minutes, May to October only) visits the upper
levels of the
Great Tower
, the highest point of the castle, which provides stunning
views over the surrounding countryside.
Getting There & Away
Trains from Prague's main train station to Beroun (via Praha-Smíchov) stop at
Karlštejn (95Kč return, 45 minutes, every 30 minutes). Note that trains are shown as
departing from platform 1J, which means the southern (
jih
in Czech) end of platform
1. From the train station or the main car park, it's a 20- or 30-minute uphill walk to
the castle. If this doesn't appeal, you can take a shared taxi (per person 100Kč).
