Perhaps the easiest way to see a real monumental castle without leaving Prague for a long time is to visit Karlštejn. The town with the same name as the castle is located 28 km South-West of the capital, on the forest cliffs near the town of Beroun.
If you do not go into the details of rebuilding and changing architectural styles – you will see the castle in its classic form: large, impressive, unapproachable, partly fabulous, hanging over the rocks and the city.
From the railway station to the castle leads a uniform, but long climb up the hill. But a castle with fortified walls is supposed to be impregnable! However, the road is mostly modern and paved. The road passes through a cozy and colorful town, so the views and many shops, restaurants and souvenir shops will distract from possible fatigue.
The Gothic city of Karlštejn was built by King Charles IV in the XIV century. The German name means "Karl's stone". The harsh stone appearance, although embellished with neo-Gothic elements, is still impressive today. The king needed a well-protected place to store his relics and coronation regalia. Today, during excursions in the Mariana tower of the castle, you can see an exact copy of the Crown of Saint Wenceslas (the coronation attribute of the Czech kings, the original is stored on the Prague Castle). Try to count gemstones and estimate their size – they impress even more in a real crown!
Due to its strategic location, the castle has not lost its important status for many centuries. And how many treasures were found in its walls, how many historical events left a trace here! But the castle did not surrender during the Hussite wars, nor from the siege of the Swedes. Later life in the castle became quiet. It became the residence of an Institute of noble maidens. By the way, according to legend, in the time of the founder, Charles IV, ladies were not allowed to enter the castle.
Karlštejn is one of the most visited castles in the Czech Republic, open all year round. You can visit the wax museum, take a walk-in time to the clock house, taste Czech honey, or see the collection of Nativity scenes in the museum of Christmas scenes. There is a golf course nearby with excellent views of the castle. You can also see the castle from a height by going up in a balloon – this kind of entertainment is available during the summer season. Hiking enthusiasts often complement a visit to Karlštejn with a mini-hike to the colorful flooded limestone quarries called Czech America.
If you want to see more than just the Royal halls, you should choose a route through the castle with a visit to the chapel of the Holy cross in the White Tower. There you can see a true masterpiece: the painting of the chapel with semiprecious stones, symbolizing the starry sky with the luminaries shining on it. This is the work of master Theodoric, the court painter of King Charles IV.
The unique collection of the castle also contains 129 paintings on wooden tablets-portraits of saints, priests, monarchs, and knights. A kind of "army of Christ", designed to protect the treasures, relics and coronation regalia.
Karlštejn is, of course, an inspiration for poets and a photogenic movie hero. The Czech poet Jaroslav Vrchlický (1853-1912) wrote a theatrical Comedy "Noc na Karlštejně" (Night in Karlštejn) for the National theater in 1884. He could not have suspected that almost a century later, his work would become the basis for one of the most beloved musicals in the Czech Republic!
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