Day 80: Karlštejn Castle

JUNE 22 - Today down to the train station early for a day trip southeast. Off at the hamlet of Karlštejn along the Berounka River, and walk up the hill. The part of town we go through is just tourist shops, dedicated to the long line of visitors trudging up to the castle.

The Berounka River.

A view of the castle from the valley.

I had booked a one hour tour, as tours are compulsory. Basically a person has to take you around and unlock all the doors.

Karlštejn Castle history is fairly simple. It was constructed on the order of Charles IV (1316-78), of the House of Luxembourg, mentioned yesterday in Day 79. Not only did he add to Prague Castle, and construct the Charles Bridge, but he conceived of Karlštejn Castle as a summer residence. Before it was complete, however, he changed his mind and decided it would be a fortress, to house the royal jewels and holy relics.

Did he really have so many of these items? Apparently so. Keep in mind that while being King of Bohemia, he was also crowned the Holy Roman Emperor. Basically that made him the highest governmental authority, other than the Pope, in the Catholic world. He was the first King of Bohemia to be honored with the Holy Roman Emperor title.

Besides keeping the Bohemian crown here, along with other valuable secular treasures, he also had a collection of holy relics, such as bones from various saints. In fact, one of the rooms used to have paintings of each of these saints, with a small slot in the picture frame where the appropriate body part was housed. One of the more curious ‘relics’ on display here is a crocodile skull. Charles IV acquired this for a huge sum, with the understanding that it was the skull of a dragon.

A painting of Charles IV, among others, including his son, future king Wenceslaus.

An original portable alter of Charles, made for him in Italy. FUN FACT: When Charles IV went to Rome to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1355, he literally stayed only a few hours and took off back to Bohemia. This did not sit well with various personages in Italy , including the famed scholar Petrarch.

The walls and ceiling of the throne room, made of square wood panels, and with a ceiling made to look like the night sky. The paneling served two functions: noise abatement and warmth.

A view of St. Mary’s Tower (foreground) and the Great Tower (background). Originally, a wood bridge joined all the towers, which could be easily burnt in case of invasion.

Karlštejn Castle was attacked only twice in its 700 year history. First by the Hussites* in 1422, and then in 1648 in the final phase of the Thirty Year War with Sweden. In both cases, the attackers wanted the jewels and relics. Ironically, in both cases, those items had already been moved to a secret hiding place in Prague.

A replica of the Bohemian crown worn by Charles IV. The real one (stored somewhere in Prague) apparently has a REAL thorn from the crown of thorns placed on the head of Jesus. It was encased in the cross seen at the top of this replica. Like many of these relics (bones, hair, skulls, etc) the possibility of authenticity strains credulity.

*The Hussites, who also attacked Prague, were Bohemian Protestants who were looking to collapse the influence of the Catholic Church in Bohemia.

There isn’t actually very much to look at in this castle. What has remained of the original decor and form has been preserved, but many years of neglect have diminished its original appearance. Many things were lost to a devastating fire in 1487, and several reconstructions changed the original appearance. Regardless, the tour was very informative, and the setting fantastic, so it was worthwhile to go.

Czech Republic