Karlstejn – Snapping The Globe

Last fall, I made the trip to Karlstejn Castle (see Straight From a Fairy Tale, October 2015), the most visited castle in the Czech Republic. Built by Czech king and Roman Emperor Charles IV, it was established as a place to store the royal treasures, collections of holy relics and the crown jewel.

Located in the town of Karlstejn, it makes for a wonderful day trip and is an impressive piece of architecture.

My son loves history and I knew that he would love taking the train, walking through the quaint village and visiting the castle. Not much has changed since my last visit, except that it was much warmer and there were many more tourists.

The Basic Tour of the Private and Representative Halls of the Holy Roman Emperor is still the only one available for walk up guests. The Sacred/Holy Area including the Chapel of the Holy Cross tour must be booked in advance.

Since I had done the Basic Tour, I was a bit disappointed that I could not take the other, however, this time was a bit different. First, our tour guide spoke much better English than the tour guide on our previous trip, so, I was able to absorb more details of the castle’s history. The other thing that changed from before were the rules concerning photography…pictures are now allowed within the castle, on the tour. A welcome change, I was excited not to have to sneak photos when the tour guide was not looking!

Definitely, a must-do on a trip to the Czech Republic, I recommend leaving early from Prague in order to beat the crowds, especially during the busy summer months. Make sure you walk the grounds within the castle’s walls and visit the Clock and Bell Tower and the Well, all included with your tour admission.

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Karlstejn Castle

https://www.hradkarlstejn.cz/en
Address: Karlštejn 172, 267 18 Karlštejn
Hours: Jan 9-Feb 29, closed, March, 0930-1600, April- June, 0930-1700, (Tue-Sun), July 1-August 31, 0900-1830 (Mon-Sun), September, 0930-1730 (Tue-Sun), October, 0930-1630 (Tue-Sun), Nov 1- Nov 13, 1000-1500 (Tue-Sun), Nov 14-Dec 23, 1000-1500 (Sat-Sun), Dec 24-25, closed, Dec 26-Jan 8, 1000-1500 (Mon, Tue-Sun)
Admission: Adults 270 CZK, Students (ages 6-26) and Seniors (over 65), 180 CZK, Family Ticket (2 Adults + 4 Children max) 860 CZK
Getting There: Departures are from the main station, Hlavní nádraží or Smíchov stations, usually about every 30 minutes in the direction of Beroun.

Whenever I have an extra day or two while on a layover, I try to get out of town and explore another city. On my recent visit to Prague, my second day was reserved for venturing out to the village of Karlstejn, home of the Karlstejn Castle for which it was named.

Easy to visit on a day trip, it can be reached from Prague by train. Departures are from the main station, Hlavní nádraží or Smíchov stations, usually about every 30 minutes in the direction of Beroun.

Starting out from the main station, we headed out on a 9:19 a.m. departure and arrived in Karlstejn at 10:00. The walk to Karlstejn wasn’t very long or difficult…take a right out of the train station and cross the river…about 2km. The castle was not visible until we reached the village and the village seemed that it was just starting to wake as we ambled through. Make sure you have your camera ready for your stroll thru the village…a very charming place; there are lots of dainty buildings, antique shops, restaurants and souvenir shops. During your walk thru the village, you will be rewarded with your first glimpse of the Castle and it is breathtaking!

After a short hike up the hill, we reached the Castle.

You may enter the castle walls for free, but in order to enter the castle itself, you must pay the entrance fee of 220kc and take an organized tour. Tours are offered in many languages throughout the day.

Once inside, you accompany a tour guide and enter many rooms. Our tour guide’s accent was a little strong and a little hard to understand at times but we were able to follow her for the most part. One thing that struck us as a little funny was that before entering each room, she would whip out a large ring of keys from her coat pocket, unlock the door and then relock it behind us after entering each room. My guess is that they were making sure that guests did not move ahead or linger and get mixed in with another group. (Groups departed 10 minutes apart).

After the tour, you are free to wander within the walls of the castle. You can visit the Clock Tower and the Well Tower, walk along the castle parapets and enjoy the incredible view.

Once you leave the castle, stop at one of the many restaurants for a delectable lunch, quench your thirst with a mouthwatering Czech beer, and then shop for souvenirs before heading back to the train station.

Get more information about Karlstejn Castle at http://www.hradkarlstejn.cz/en/

Check out more pictures on the Facebook page, Snapping the Globe.