Karlstein Czechy

Karlštejn Castle was founded by Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, in 1348 to safeguard the crown jewels of the Holy Roman Empire and the royal treasures of the Bohemian kingdom. The castle is built in a stepped layout on a wooded hilltop above the Berounka River, with the most important structures positioned highest — the Imperial Palace at the base, the Marian Tower above it, and the Great Tower at the summit. The exterior, as seen from the village below, is one of the most photographed castle silhouettes in Central Europe. The crown jewel of the complex is the Chapel of the Holy Cross in the Great Tower — its walls inlaid with over 2,000 precious and semiprecious stones, covered with 129 panel paintings by Master Theodoric, one of the finest examples of Bohemian Gothic art. Also notable is the Chapel of St. Catherine, Charles IV's private oratory decorated with Venetian glass and semiprecious stones. The castle was heavily restored in neo-Gothic style in the 19th century. The village street from the station to the castle gates, lined with restaurants and craft shops, is part of the experience.