Karlstejn

The castle of Karlstejn towers on the rocky cliff in the middle of the valley near the left bank of the Berounka River.

This castle has always held a very special position among Czech castles. It was not built as an administrative centre or a royal seat, but from the beginning of its history, it was intended to house the Royal Treasures, especially the collection of relics and the Crown Jewels, which were guarded in Karlstejn's walls for about 200 years. The castle got its name in the honour of its founder, Charles IV. Its building began in 1348, in the period of high Gothic, but its present appearance was given to it during the last reconstruction in the 19th century. There are two castle routes open to the public : The first one contains the interiors of the Emperor's Palace with the Courtiers Chamber and the Chamber of Ancestors, in which the set of paintings representing the family members is on display. A very important part of the second route is the Chapel of Sacred Cross, that gets the attention of its visitors with paintings on wood from the workshop of Master Theodorik / all these are dated back into the 14th century. Also the Gothic frescos along the staircase and the Study of architect Mocker are very attractive for tourists.

оn both castle routes, valuable interiors decorated with wall paintings from the 14th century are presented together with the whole Karlstejn movables - Gothic sculptures, book funds and partly also a set of vedutas.