Karlštejn Castle

Karlštejn Castle proved to be an excellent and rewarding day trip from Prague. Reaching the castle is quite convenient via train, making it easily accessible. While the walk from the station to the castle is lengthy and uphill, it's actually a highlight of the experience. Having the castle constantly in view on the horizon, appearing from different angles as you ascend, builds anticipation beautifully. Architecturally, Karlštejn is truly impressive, a visually pleasant sight both from afar and up close. Once inside the castle grounds, the views over the surrounding Bohemian countryside are fantastic. The history of the castle, particularly its connection to Emperor Charles IV, is fascinating, and the guided tour brought this history to life in an enjoyable and informative way. It was also convenient to find a cafe within the castle complex for refreshments. A point of caution concerns the nearby village. It largely caters to the tourist influx and can feel somewhat like a 'tourist trap'. There isn't much substance beyond souvenir shops and restaurants geared towards day-trippers, so I wouldn't recommend staying overnight or planning more than a half-day or full-day visit focused on the castle itself. Despite the village, the castle experience itself is highly recommended. For its history, architecture, views, and the scenic journey to reach it, Karlštejn Castle is definitely worth the trip from Prague

One of the national treasures of the Czech Republic this iconic castle is definitely worth a visit. The castle founded around 1347 is set in the picturesque scenery of mountains and the Berounka river and it is linked with the emperor Charles IV. There are several visiting tours to choose from. The tickets can be bought online. If you have the possibility, make sure to choose the tour including the castle's chapels. The breathtaking gilded interior of the St. Cross Chapel is absolutely amazing.

Beautiful from the outside, but a bit short inside The castle and the village are absolutely stunning. We enjoyed the exterior much more than the inside. The guided tour was quite short considering the price, but overall it's a nice place to visit for the views and the atmosphere. 4/5 ⭐

Tl;dr Interesting sights for armchair historians and Kingdom Come Deliverance fans. Guided tours are being offered in Czech and English. Don't believe other reviews that say otherwise, you can easily check the time when castle is open and order tickets via their own site. 8.5/10 Recommended. Standard visit comes to 55 mins. of guided tour action. I've ended up enjoying the short stay at the castle, though chapels were closed, as they ONLY open during summer months and till the beginning of Autumn. Our guide Martin surprised me with the fluency of English, everything was explained loud and clear with snippets of cheeky banter inbetween. Overall, great sport. The surrounding shops, restaurants and woods create great atmosphere and chill mood in general. I would highly recommend orderding the tickets a day before, since the guided tour in English is quite popular and the castle is open only from 9 till 5. Make sure to come early to the train depot, as the train seems to come and go early and usually without much waiting time inbetween stops.

Karlštejn Castle is a beautiful and historic place with amazing views. It feels like stepping into a fairy tale from the past. The walk up to the castle is a bit steep but worth it. Great spot for photos and learning Czech history!

An amazing experience. It was a tough walk during the heatwave to get up to the castle, but those with decent fitness should be ok. We took an English speaking tour, and whilst the historical elements may not have been presented convincingly, it was extraordinary to walk through the King's chamber and see the view from the windows. The toilets on the lower level, underneath the ticket booth were very new and clean, it was a wonderful surprise.

Picturesque architecture that sits on the top of the hill above the town. There are not many locations from which to take good photos. A long and very steep climb up a road that has tourist shops and restaurants on both sides. Very busy and crowded when we visited at May holiday. Hundreds of people arrive by train, large parking area below the town.

It is a very beautiful hill fort, you have to walk 2 kilometers, I have seen so many forts but the special thing about this one is that every room in the fort is locked and the history is told, the construction of a 73 meter deep well and the system made using wooden materials used for drawing water is very beautiful

This one of the nicest castles around Prague. I highly recommend going here to explore and learn about its history . All the tours are guided so you will be assigned a guide which will walk you into every corners in the castle . It's a 50 min drive from Prague but it's so worth it. You can take an Uber from Prague but you won't have much luck getting one back. ( I learned the hard way ) But don't worry there is a train station 15 min walk from there !

Best castle in middle of nowhere ever (for me at least). This is an easy 1 hour trip (40 km) from the prague central station for ~$3. The station is easily accessed by tram, bus or metro which are also cheap ($1). The train station in Karlstejn is about 2 km from the castle. First 0.75 km are flat. Then you hit town and its straight up. Lots of shops and places to eat along the way up and down. Of course pivo but also lots of gelato and pastry shops. Yay. I ate at two czech bistros reviewed separately. The castle itself is amazing! A 55 minute tour was $7.5 which is quite reasonable. English language tour is available as are german and czech ones. You get to tour most of the castle and our awesome tour guide Eva shared the extensive history of the castle and Charles IV. If you are in Prague I highly recommend this as a day trip and a way to escape the tourist crowds at old town. Not that old towns not cool- it is but this was amazing. Tip: use the WC on the train as all WCs in town are not free.

Beautiful castle! Great hike up the hill. There are only guided tours available, this castle would be much easier to go through self guided. The most expensive ticket cost 880, ridiculously expensive for a guided tour by a college student. We got the middle priced ticket. There are only timed options, loads of Czech options, not a lot of English. Despite this, the castle was beautiful and interesting.

I'm not sure what criteria a castle should be reviewed on, but this is a great building perched atop a highly touristed but still appealing little town, very easy to reach from Prague by rail. The inside has changed substantially since Charles's time -- "restored" puts it far too mildly. The guides were informative if heavily rehearsed. The price is a bit high at around 13 USD per person for the basic 45-minute tour in a large group.

The Karlstein Castle is the castle of King Charles. Obviously, due to this reason, it has historical significance. The castle took a long time to build, and the water source of the castle came from a deep well that had water redirected from the river. Due to this fact and to avoid having others poison the river to conquer the castle, legend has it that the king killed all that worked on the castle to keep their mouths shut forever. King Charles married 4 times and had 2 princes. Each time he remarried because his queen died either due to miscarriage or sickness. The Karlstein Castle tour is certainly worth it, but do note that the tour only runs at specific times each day, which means that you may wait a while either due to the group being already too large or you came at a wrong time. The nice walk and view are certain the wait, however!

Karlštejn Castle is located not far from Prague. It is always exciting to visit a grand castle of this magnitude. If you like history as I do, you will be very satisfied with this castle. During the tour, you'll walk on the same floor where a great Bohemian king once did. Tours are in various languages. You'll be taken through most of the interior of this magnificent structure. Highly recommended. I'm sure king Charles the fourth would too.