If you are planning a trip to the Czech Republic, be sure toVisit one of its most amazing sights - Karlštejn Castle. Moreover, it is located very close to Prague - the capital of this country. We suggest now to learn more about the castle, its history, appearance and excursions conducted here.
As you know, in this European country sinceMedieval and to this day preserved several interesting buildings. Among them, the castle Karlštejn is particularly notable. Its name means “stone of Charles”. This building, built in the Gothic style, looks very beautiful. However, despite its elegant appearance, for a long time it remained one of the most inaccessible in all of Europe. Karlstejn Castle (Czech Republic) is located on the top of a high cliff near the river Berounka, 28 kilometers from Prague.
Karlstejn Castle was founded in 1348 inas the residence and treasury of relics of the king of Bohemia and part-time Emperor of the Roman Empire, Charles IV. The construction was erected in a very short time, and the Frenchman Matvey Arassansky acted as its architect. Already in 1355, King Charles IV settled in his castle. Finally, the construction was completed in 1357.
During numerous wars, the castle of KarlštejnThe Czech Republic did not allow to capture the enemy, he remained impregnable. Thus, this fortress survived after a seven-month siege by the Hussites in 1427, and during the Thirty Years War, when the Swedes attacked it.
In 1625, the castle began to decline.This is due to the fact that the Empress Eleonora conveyed Karlstein as a pledge to Jan Kavka, a Czech nobleman. Subsequently, the widow of Emperor Leopold was able to return the castle to the royal property by paying a deposit. Subsequently, Karlstein again changed the owner. Thus, by Empress Maria Theresia, he was transferred to the Hradcany boarding house of noble maidens, who owned it until the building was placed under the control of the Czechoslovak Republic. After this, the castle was open to tourists. And today it is one of the most popular attractions of the Czech Republic.
According to the rules, a visit to thisattractions are possible only as part of the tour group. It is also forbidden to take pictures and video on the inside of the castle. So, local guides offer visitors three options for excursions:
Also within all excursions you can freevisit the exteriors for the third gate. If you do not want to take a tour, then in order to admire these attractions, you will have to pay 40 crowns.
If you are in the Czech capital and want tovisit this place on your own, it will be quite easy to do. After all, the distance along the route "Prague - Karlštejn Castle" is just under 30 kilometers. To get to this attraction is best by train, in this case, the road from Prague to the village Karlstejn takes 40 minutes and will cost only two euros. In this case, trains in this direction run at intervals of 30 minutes. You can go both from the main Prague station and from the station Smíchov.
If for any reason you do not want to go toKarlstejn Castle on the train, you can use the bus. However, the bus service in this area is not very well established. Thus, flights are not frequent and are carried out to the village of Morina, located two kilometers from Karlštejn. In addition, you can go on the tour bus as part of a group of other tourists. But in this case, the fare will cost you much more than by train or bus to Morina.
This place is quite compact,so getting lost here is almost impossible. The only difficulty that a tourist may encounter is the way to the castle from the train station, as the fortress is not visible from here. However, there is nothing to worry about, since you just need to follow the marks of black or yellow, and also pay attention to the numerous signs showing the right direction. In total, the distance from the station to the castle is two kilometers.
All the way from the bus station andthe train station to the castle itself is, one might say, one huge souvenir shop. Here tourists are offered a standard set of mugs, magnets, figurines, towels and t-shirts. However, there are unusual items in the form of products from Czech garnet and Bohemian crystal. At the same time, prices here are much lower than in Prague. If you want to buy truly interesting and unique souvenirs, then be patient before entering the castle itself. There is usually a blacksmith who makes bells and other various chased things.
