This exceptional castle was built by Charles IV in 1348 as an impregnable fortress for storing crown jewels and a precious collection of holy relics. These treasures were placed here at the beginning of the Hussite wars, and the safe house protected them for almost 200 years.
Overwhelming beauty and inner strength are how visitors describe the heart of Karlštejn, the Chapel of the Holy Cross. It had already caused deserved astonishment at the time of its consecration. The chapel is located in the castle’s well-fortified Great Tower, where the most precious treasures have always been hidden.
The chapel’s ceiling consists of a field of gold-covered cross vaults and hundreds of glass lenses symbolizing the starry sky. The lower part is then set with semi-precious stones in the shape of crosses. The decoration corresponds to the contemporary description of the Heavenly Jerusalem, the mystical city described in the Book of Revelation.
The most valuable part of the chapel, however, is the dedicated space where the crown jewels and the relics of the saints are kept. This place is planted with 129-panel paintings from the workshop of the then-master Theodoric. The paintings date from the 14th century and are the world’s largest and best-preserved collection of Gothic paintings! Please note that, unlike other Karlštejn tours, you must book a tour of the Chapel of the Holy Cross in advance by calling 777 464 726 or by e-mail:
Nowadays, you can admire the beauty of Karlštejn on one of three visitor tours. In addition to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, you can see the imperial residence of Charles IV or take a look around the area from the magical viewpoint of the Great Tower.
If you want to experience something completely unique, choose from the extraordinary tours. How about an exclusive evening tour in a small group of six when the castle is quiet? On another extraordinary tour, the caste warden Ing. Lukáš Kunst will introduce you to Karlštejn from a different perspective, and you will also visit normally inaccessible areas.
Have you been to Karlštejn and seen everything? You might be surprised how much it has changed! The castle is undergoing extensive reconstruction from 2020, which will be completed in 2023. Along with renovating the dilapidated original premises, several new expositions were created. Don’t miss them!
By car, it is less than 16 km from Restovna to Karlštejn; the route can be covered in about 20 minutes.
You can also take bus 318 from the Jíloviště bus stop (a 4-minute walk from the Restovna) to the Smichov train station. From there, you can change to one of the regular train lines in the direction of Beroun, which stop in the village of Karlštejn. You will be at your destination in about 45 minutes by public transport.