The Karlstejn Castle

Karlštejn castle is one of the top tourist destinations in Czechia, frequently visited also by locals due to the popularity of emperor Charles IV, the founder of Karlštejn. Thus, the castle is an epitome for medieval building for every Czech person. The castle was built on a limestone rock in the mid of 14th century, originally for private purposes of the emperor. But it has changed very soon, and Charles IV turned the castle to the strongbox that should protect imperial jewelry of the Holy Empire (now, it is not there). However, the most important was the sacral function: The castle was designed as the giant reliquary with parts of interior decorated by precious stones, glass incrustations, frescoes and desk paintings by international artists such as Nicholas Wurmser from Strasbourg, Tommaso da Modena, and especially Magister Theodoricus who designed the decoration of S Cross Chapel.

The castle is easily accessible by train from Prague, and it is located in Bohemian Karst protected area. It is hidden in the side valley of river Berounka, but its visual impact is iconic. However, the current shape is the result of a purist reconstruction by Josef Mocker in 19th century. It was the main reason for postponing the nomination as the clarification of the issue of authenticity was requested by ICOMOS. Another problem is a desolate state of some parts of the castle and really outdated visitor center. Actually, there is no visitor center or even a shelter in case of raining at …

My one and only visit to Karlštejn Castle took place nearly a decade ago, but seeing that there are no other reviews for it, even a dated one might be useful.

The grand castle is located some 30 kilometers away from Prague, and most visits to it are likely to be day-trips from the capital. If you join one of the many organized tours, it will pick you up at your hotel and deposit you back in under 5 hours. If you go on your own, budget 6-7 hours for the whole trip, including getting to the central train station in Prague, possibly waiting for the next train (they run once every 30 minutes), the 35-minute ride, then getting to the castle from the station, and later doing it all again in reverse on the way back. The visit to the castle itself takes just over an hour. The visits are guided, the groups depart at specific intervals, so there could be some additional wait there.

Walking up the hill to the castle from the train station may easily take an hour for the less athletic, but will definitely take at least 30 minutes (an organized tour will not bring you any closer to the top of the hill - you still will have to walk up). Thankfully, the village along the road up to the castle is full of souvenir shops and eateries, and also has a couple of nice art galleries. Some of it has a …