Karlštejn Castle
Located about an hour away from Prague, Karlštejn is one of Czechia's most visited castles.
It was founded by Czech king and Holy Roman
emperor Charles
IV (Karel IV.) in 1348, the same year when he founded
Prague's New Town and Charles University. The castle stands on top of a hill, is surrounded by forests, and cannot be seen from a distance, so it was the perfect place to hold the royal treasures and coronation
jewels of the Holy Roman Empire. It also served as the
king's retreat. The Czech coronation jewels were also kept at Karlštejn for almost 200 years during and after the Hussite wars in the
15th and 16th centuries. (They are now kept at St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle and are publicly displayed only on special occasions, so don't expect to see them on your Karlštejn tour.)
You can read more about Karlštejn Castle and the two routes that can be visited
on our Karlštejn
Castle page.
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