Karlstejn Castle

Karlstejn is a grand Gothic castle rising in terraced towers on a wooded limestone hill near Prague, built in the 14th century by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV to safeguard the imperial crown jewels and holy relics. Its stepped silhouette against the forest is one of the classic images of Bohemia, and its jewel is the richly decorated Chapel of the Holy Cross.

History

Karlštejn was founded in 1348 by Charles IV to keep the Imperial Regalia, the Bohemian crown jewels, holy relics and other royal treasures. The work was directed by Vitus of Bítov, later burgrave of the castle, but there are no records of the builder himself; some historians have credited Matthias of Arras, who died in 1352, and Charles IV personally supervised the construction and decoration. The project was finished in 1365, when the Chapel of the Holy Cross in the great tower, the heart of the treasury, was consecrated. After the Hussite Wars broke out, the Imperial Regalia were taken away in 1421 and brought via Hungary to Nuremberg, and the castle was besieged in 1422. The Bohemian crown jewels later came back and were kept here for almost two centuries. The castle was rebuilt in late Gothic style after 1480, its great tower was damaged by fire in 1487, and it was remodelled in Renaissance style in the last quarter of the 16th century; in 1619 the coronation jewels and the archive went to Prague, and after the Swedes took it in 1648 it fell into disrepair. Josef Mocker's Gothic Revival reconstruction of 1887 to 1899 gave it its present look. The village below was founded while the castle was built and bore its name, was renamed Buda after the Hussite Wars and Budňany in the 18th century, and took the name Karlštejn again when it merged with Poučník (Wikipedia, Karlštejn).

The main sights

• The terraced castle - the stepped Gothic towers rising up the wooded hill.
• The Chapel of the Holy Cross - the richly decorated chapel that held the crown jewels.
• The state rooms - the imperial halls and chambers on the guided tours.
• The hilltop setting - the castle above the forest and village.

When to go

The warm months for the full tours and the wooded setting; it is an easy day trip from Prague by train. The special chapel tour books ahead and runs seasonally.

Before you go

The interior is seen only on guided tours, and the famous chapel is a separate, limited tour that books up. The walk up from the station passes a strip of souvenir stalls. It is busy, being a popular Prague day trip.

Nearby

Prague is forty minutes away; the Bohemian Karst and its caves are nearby.

Key facts