Get to the castles.
We have a free day ahead of us. We are in Prague. This city does not cause satiety, but not far from it there are objects that are worth seeing.
Very close to Prague are two well-preserved medieval castles: Karlštejn ( Karlstein) and Krivoklat ( Krivoklat). They are in the same direction. It's easy to get to them. A good combination, and it's a sin not to use it.
First of all, we take a train ticket (vlak - Czech.)
Train station in Prague - Hlavni Nadrazi. The building is rather large, it is not immediately clear in which part it ended up if you exit the metro. Do not be lazy, make a circle around the building to understand at what levels what is. This is very useful to understand where the checkout is located. They do not have such a thing as a cash desk (cassa, ticket sale ...), they have a CD-Centre. In order to get into it, you need to go to the main entrance of the station, which is located a level below the railway tracks and closer to the old city. We enter the right wing, we pass 20 meters, we approach the treadmill, which leads to a higher level and we are not in a hurry to go up there. A little to the left there are a few steps down. There is a spacious well-lit hall, and in several places there is an inscription - CD-Centre.
A little about order. Near each cash register there is only one person (well, or two, if you are together). The rest are waiting 3-4 meters away. A bored policeman keeps order. The order of approach to the checkout is observed by everyone by default. No quarrels, loud conversations, crowds. There is no fuss, everyone is standing inside the waiting area, limited by a lightly stretched rope.
Our turn, we approach the window, hear the manager's greeting on duty. With a confident voice I say: “Krzhivlat. There e shpet ”(Krzhivoklat, back and forth). Then a simple dialogue begins in which you say the date of the trip. You can say today or tomorrow. They understand. Their numbers are pronounced almost the same as ours. The dates are quite recognizable. The number of people who want to go too. After a short conversation, we received one ticket, which contains information about where we are going (Prague-Krzhivoklát-Prague), two or three major stations along the way, the number of travelers and the date. There are two dates. If in some force majeure we do not get there today, tomorrow this ticket will still be valid.
The ticket is not for any particular train, but for a round trip. You have to choose the path yourself. We go to the information stand. It shows the departure time and the train. It's better to figure out how the information is displayed. When understanding comes, you will be surprised how simple everything turns out to be. Most often, a train is drawn. Below it is a list of stations along the way.
There are two ways to Křivoklát: the first - with a change in Beroun and with two changes in Hostivice and Rakovnik.
Way one. Train Prague-Beroun (journey time about 40 minutes), after which transfer to the train - Beroun-Rakovnik (journey time 30 minutes). By the way, the Karlstejn stop is on the first leg of the journey. Approximately 30-35 minutes from Prague. After leaving Beroun, it is better to keep an eye on the clock and stops outside the window. The Křivoklát stop is called that, there are no prefixes to it.
The second way - two transfers, in Hostivice (10 minutes on the way) and in Rakovník (35 minutes on the way). And another 30 minutes to Křivoklát. I will say that from the experience of the trip, you can go both ways to Křivoklát, you will surely have time to complete your inspection program. Impressions from the landscapes flying outside the window are provided to you. But you need to return through Beroun.
Beroun. Interchange station and a wonderful town with a compact historical center. As a rule, at the time of arrival of the train from Prague to Beroun, there is already a train that will take you to Křivoklát. You will have 5-15 minutes to transfer.
But there is a chance that you will have time to walk around Beroun. Perhaps, after Prague, for the sake of curiosity, you want to take a look at how life goes on in a provincial town. Trains run frequently and if you take an hour for a walk, you won’t get out of the day’s program. A quiet town with a traditional central square, around which there is a town hall, many shops and cafes, a cathedral, not far from the gate tower, which were once the entrance to the city. Beroun has a pleasant aura and will leave positive impressions. We took advantage of this opportunity against our will, but did not regret it at all.
On the day of our trip, some repair work was carried out on the railway line. We left Prague on the City Elefant double-decker train. Enjoying the upcoming trip, we climbed to the second floor, there was a better view and there were no people at all. But they didn't rejoice for long. The controller checked our tickets and after a short conversation, during which he impressed us with his knowledge of the Russian language, he explained that the second floor is an increased comfort, and our tickets have a lower class. We laughed, planted their delusions of grandeur, and safely reached Beroun.
Here we were in for a surprise. There is no train to Křivoklát, but in about an hour we will be taken by buses one station ahead, from where we will continue our way to the castle. This is the hour we took advantage of. Walking around the city.
Křivoklát (Křivoklát). The castle is visible from the station, the path to it lies through a small town located along the road and on the slopes of the hills. We can say that a large tourist trail has not yet been laid here. There are no organized crowds. Everything is measured, somehow unusually quiet. It's like time has stopped. The castle is on a hill. A road runs around it in a lowland, along which the town stretches. There is also a river running downstream. She probably has her mountain temper, which we were lucky not to recognize. 
The road to the castle does not take much time. She passes the castle and continues through the town. A little higher than the castle is a very good observation deck, from which the castle is in full view. But even in the castle itself there are quite a few interesting places, the view from which makes the heart beat faster, succumbing to enthusiastic sensations. Above the lookout is a bus stop. There are dozens of souvenir shops in the parking lot. The prices are very democratic. In Prague, some souvenirs are much more expensive. And if you climb a little more along the road, you can find a workshop that makes original and also inexpensive ceramic souvenirs. With luck, it is possible to bargain cheaper. 
At the entrance to the castle on the right side there is a souvenir shop with views of the castle, coins, postcards, calendars, etc. There is an interesting angle on the views, where the castle is photographed through the Gothic rotunda. If you are passionate and want to see it with your own eyes, be patient. You can see the rotunda from the castle, but when you start looking for it on a hillside in the forest, you will not find it right away. 
There are guided tours of the castle. But it is advisable to sign up for excursions in advance. The territory of the castle consists of two parts, free and paid. Judging by billboards and signs, holidays and tournaments are not uncommon in the paid part of the castle. But there is something to see in the free one. Although this part of the castle courtyard can be called free of charge conditionally. It is unlikely that you can resist not to buy some kind of souvenir from the previously unseen. Or you want to mint a coin with the appearance of a castle with your own hands. Or decide to try honey wine. Or, for some reason, decide to leave a deeper impression in your memory by spending very few coins.
There are several interesting cafes and bars along the way to the station. Their light and dark Goat is a wonderful addition to the impressions.
Karlstejn (Karlstejn).
It is very easy to get from Křivoklát. Half an hour to Beroun, transfer to the train to Prague and 10 minutes to Karlstejn. The castle is not visible from the station. But it's easy to find the way there. Directly opposite the station there is a sign post, on which the inscriptions and directions will indicate exactly that the castle is to the right and along the main road. It takes a total of 25 minutes to walk. Well, adjusted for the fact that everyone has their own step and fatigue can come, then after 15 minutes you will see the castle and then you can already dose the movement with a visit to a huge number of various souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes. Until this very place, when the castle appears majestically on the mountain between the hills, you need to go along the main road. Pointers will help. We crossed the bridge with a wonderful view of the picturesque coast, turned right and after 100 meters - left.
The prices for souvenirs were a pleasant surprise. But do not rush to take immediately. There are really many shops. Walk on them, the excitement will capture. And the prices are really different. Cafes and restaurants offer a varied menu.
The castle has a website on the Internet, it will not be difficult to find it. At the time of this writing, the tours are available in three languages: Czech, German and English. Czech is almost twice cheaper. There are two types of tours: long and short. Perhaps the interiors and exteriors in the castle will not impress you to the point of childish delight, but it is worth visiting. And yet, it is better to book excursions in advance. The website of the castle has a schedule of excursions indicating in which languages it will be held. If you come at random, you run the risk of getting to the one held in an unfamiliar language.
It is difficult to say what impressions you will have from the castles. But definitely, they will be positive.
It would be possible to take a leisurely walk along Karlstejn for some more time, trains run frequently, about half an hour or an hour. But we have plans to visit the Krzhizhikov fountains. And we regret to leave the castle.
Evening Prague is beautiful in a special way. Quiet warm evening. The city is still full of tourists. On the Charles Bridge, you simply can’t push through. We don't need to. We sit on the tram and go for new experiences. We deliberately canceled the tour. The official tour is ten euros more expensive. But in terms of mobility, such an excursion is preferable - they will take you, they will bring you.
We made it half an hour before the show. Who does not know, the Krzhizhikov fountains are a ballet performance on the stage near the color-musical fountains. Looks beautiful. The musical accompaniment at each performance is different from the previous one. The duration of one performance is about 1 hour. More like a little over 40 minutes. Who is going to visit them, you can choose the time and music, according to your preferences.
how to get there, what to see in the castle Krivoklat.
Křivoklát Castle located in the "Czech Paradise" 59 km from Prague, 25 km from the town of Beroun. A trip to Křivoklát can be combined with a visit to the castle Karlstejn , canyons . krivoklat very beautiful castle. I liked it both inside and out. Large courtyard, beautiful interiors. The castle was founded in the 12th century, during the reign of Přemysl Otakar II, and acquired its current form in a romantic style after reconstruction completed in the early 20th century. At that time, the Furstenberg family owned the castle.
Despite the solid elements of the fortifications, Křivoklát Castle gives the impression of lightness of buildings.
Courtyard castle Křivoklát quite extensive, you can climb the passages between parts of the castle.
Here you can see part of the castle wall. Křivoklát Castle is endowed with some insane positive energy. I still remember visiting this castle with great warmth. Maybe the reason for this is the gentlemen (beer house), located in the courtyard of the castle. They serve excellent sausages and of course beer. Crossbow shooting competitions are held in the courtyard.
IN castle Křivoklát there is quite a rich exposition inside the castle. Available for viewing gothic palace, gothic chapel. In the knight's hall (one of the largest in the Czech Republic), there is a large collection of weapons. Entrance to the castle grounds is free, excursions inside the castle are paid.
krivoklat- a castle where you can wander, appreciate the power of the fortifications and the beauty of the interior.
In 1929, the Fürstenbergs sold the castle to the Czech government, currently castle Křivoklát is a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic.
Schedule of visits to the castle Křivoklát.
| 03.01- 25.0 3 | daily (except Sunday) | 10-15 h |
| 26.03- 30.04 | 10-16 h | |
| 01.05 - 31.0 5 | daily (except Monday) | 10-17 h |
| 01.06 - 30.06 | daily (except Monday) | 09-17 h |
| 01.07 - 31.08 | daily (except Monday) | 09-18 h |
| 01.09 - 30.09 | daily (except Monday) | 09-17 h |
| 01.10 - 31.10 | daily (except Monday) | 10-16 h |
| 01. 11 - 30. 11 | 10-15 h | |
| 01. 12 - 31. 12 | Saturday, Sunday, public holidays | 10-15 h |
How to get to Křivoklát Castle?
The best way to get to the castle is by car. With or without. 250 meters from castle Křivoklát There is a paid car park.
You can take a bus (32 minutes) or a train (36 minutes) from Prague to Beroun, then from Beroun to Křivoklát by train (41 minutes). The route can be calculated here: An excellent site for planning routes in the Czech Republic and not only , this site is a good tool for solo travelers.
Estimated cost of visiting Košivoklát Castle is shown in the table:
| Access (with guide) | Foreigners | ||
| Full
CZK/person |
benefit. CZK/person |
Family | |
| 1 zone -gothic palace | 160 crowns | 120 crowns | - |
| 2 zone -the whole castle | 240 CZK | 170 CZK | - |
Benefits are provided to children under 15 years old, students under 25 years old, pensioners.
I will visit this castle again.
About the castle
The ancient hunting castle Křivoklát is located in the valley of the Berun River near the town of Rakovnik, which is 40 kilometers from Prague. It was built in the 11th century for the Přemyslid princes, so that the princes could come here for hunting and recreation with their retinue. Now in the former hunting grounds - a nature reserve protected by UNESCO.
Initially, the place where the castle is located was called Křivoplat - a combination of the Czech word krivy and the German word Platte, which can be translated as "Castle on a crooked square." Gradually, the word in the speech was changed to the familiar Czech ear with the ending klat (deck) - Krzhivoklat.
History of the castle
Over the 900-year history, the owners of the castle changed more than once, who completed it at their own discretion. In the 13th century, the settlements of the early Middle Ages began to be replaced by stone castles, and here they began to build a castle with a fortress wall and a donjon, a majestic tower that has survived to this day. Later, new towers were built, a rectangular palace with locks, of which only memories remain in the form of a Romanesque window on the ground floor.
At the beginning of the 13th century, by order of Přemysl Otakar, outbuildings were built here, wings were attached to the upper castle, and the lower part of the palace was reconstructed. After Křivoklát Castle underwent several more transformations, as a result of which it received the appearance of a Gothic castle of the early period. The large front hall occupied the first floor of the western palace entirely. As a result, by the end of the possession of the Přemyslids, Křivoklát became a complex structure of seven parts, with three towers and many outbuildings.
In the 14th century, the castle was owned by the nobleman Wilhelm Zayitz from Waldeck, and when there was a big fire, the castle was badly damaged. Zayits was not involved in the restoration of the castle and could not delay its destruction. The catastrophic decline of the castle did not please King Charles IV and he decided to return it to the Crown. He understood the strategic importance of this place and in the last years of his reign he commissioned a major rebuilding of Křivoklát. A new wide road now led to the castle, the area of \u200b\u200bthe castle as a whole was increased. The wall encircling the castle increased its defense capability.
The son of Charles IV - Wenceslas IV made Křivoklát one of the representative castles of his time. But the fire of 1422 and the subsequent captures of Křivoklát by Catholic and Hussite troops caused irreparable damage to the building.
The heyday of Křivoklát Castle came in the 15th century, when it became the residence of King Vladislav Jagiellonian. Under him, Křivoklát took on the appearance of a late Gothic castle. The upper castle was completely rebuilt, the once built wall was removed between the castles, a chapel with a carved wooden altar was built. Bay windows and a magnificent vault transformed the Great Hall. Reliefs with portraits of King Vladislav and his son Louis were installed on the parapet. After perestroika, Křivoklát turned into a luxurious residence, but it became not a place of royal celebrations, but a place of solitude and relaxation for the monarch. In the future, Czech monarchs, for reasons that are not clear today, treated the castle with disdain. For example, during the reign of Rudolph II, a prison for swindlers of a noble family and state criminals was located in the castle. The alchemist Edward Kelly, bishop of the community of Czech brothers Jan August, was imprisoned in the Round Tower of Křivoklát for several years.
But there was something about the estate that Rudolph liked. In 1583, he acquired a brewery that produced the Krusovice drink and attached it to the estate.
A good location, an abundance of high-quality barley, hops, water - all this contributed to the development and prosperity of the plant. But in the 17th century, the Habsburgs no longer needed the castle and the factory.
In 1658, Křivoklát was pledged to the Schwarzenbergers, then sold to Arnost Joseph of Waldstein, and finally to the Fürstenbergs, who again took up brewing.
Since the second half of the 19th century, Křivoklát Castle began to be restored, in which the architects Josef Mokker, Humbert Walcher von Moltein, Camila Huberta took part. But in 1929 the state became the owner of the castle Křivoklát.
The massive entrance to the castle is lined with stone blocks, and the steps of the stairs are carved from solid sandstone slabs.
Stained-glass windows, windows with hexagonal bars, doors with forged locks, and painted panels have been preserved in several rooms. And unique pieces of furniture - for example, a table with inlay from different types of wood, folding into the image of Křivoklát. The most majestic building is the Royal Hall, which is second in size only to the Vladislav Hall in the Old Palace of Prague.
The castle chapel has not changed much. A carved altar in the Flaming Gothic style, the armrests of the chairs are made in the form of dragons, symbolizing evil. The wooden sculpture in the chapel invariably attracts attention - the thoroughness of the work is simply amazing - on the composition dedicated to the death of the Virgin Mary, images of 20 people are carved and all this is meter by meter in size!
The interior of the Queen's Wing is dedicated to the inhabitant of the castle, Philippine Welser, and is imbued with the spirit of the Renaissance. In the art gallery you can admire the works of masters of the 16th-20th centuries - genre scenes, landscapes, still lifes, portraits of historical figures.
The library of Křivoklát contains more than 53,000 volumes, including old and unique editions, such as the 11th century Psalter.
The library has exhibition halls. In one, there is an exposition of ancient sledges with openwork carvings and baroque paintings. There are sleds for women with an interesting design. Under the seat there was a box lined with metal inside, in which red-hot bricks were put, so the seat remained warm for a long time.
Also in the exhibition hall you can see a collection of ancient guild flags and standards with peaks at the top.
The Big Tower itself impresses with its size: 32 meters high, outer walls 9 meters thick, inner 3 meters. It was possible to get into it only through a hole at a height of 15 meters, using a ladder.
Castle open:
in April, September 09.00–16.00, daily except Monday;
in May - August 09.00–17.00, daily except Monday;
in October 09.00–15.00, daily except Monday;
in November - December (until 20.12) 09.00–15.00, only on weekends and holidays;
from 20.12 to 01.04 the castle is closed for visitors.
Tour price:
for adults - 150 Kč;
for children, students and pensioners - 80 Kč.
How to contact: +420 313 558 440; 313 558 440
Background:
Well, I can't sit still! And in any of my travels, I try to see as much as possible, these are other cities and countries or castles. And today I want to tell you about a trip to the castle Krivoklat.
The trip was scheduled for May 26, 2013. It was decided to go in the following composition: me, my husband Andrey and our friend Elena. The decision to visit this Czech castle was made at the Czech beer festival. In the morning, as planned, my husband and I went to buy train tickets, but a friend suddenly refused to go, citing poor health “after yesterday”, and her husband could not avoid the upcoming trip.
And so, on May 26 - morning, drizzling rain, air temperature about +7, although it feels +2 no more. My husband and I get on the train and go to Berouna, where they have to make a transfer to get to a small village called Krivoklat. An hour and a half on the road and we are there.
Road from the station to the castle:
The station of this town resembles an exclusion zone - there was no one in the station building itself, even an employee slept peacefully behind the glass separating it from the outside world.
Having bypassed the station building, we find ourselves in a place that reminded us of Russian dachas: a chain-link mesh separates one section with a house from another. Having passed along the corridor of bushes on one side and chain-link nets on the other side, my husband and I went to the bridge
We crossed this bridge. Well, that's civilization!
We noticed a small shop where we bought a magnet as a keepsake, and my husband decided to buy a card, saying that we need to please the seller girl.
Then we sat in a cafe-restaurant of a nearby hotel. Yes! There is a hotel there!
The rain did not stop, and it was decided to go to this castle Krivoklat.
About the castle and castle courtyard:
Well, here we are within its walls!
At first we wandered around the castle courtyard for a long time, looking around
Wandered into the gift shop at the castle
Then we bought tickets for a tour of the castle. But my husband did not go inside, he said that he did not want to walk through the cold stone halls of the castle in such cold weather and would wait for me in the cafe at the castle. Mead is brewed there and it's just wonderful there!
Well, I had nowhere to go - I'm going alone. I tried to stealthily take pictures, then the guide barked at me, and I had to remove the camera (for a short while, but he did not know about it).
Now, perhaps, a little about the history of the castle itself.
Krivoklat built as a hunting castle. The first mention of it refers to 1110, but archaeologists do not confirm this fact. According to historical data, the castle arose in the 12th century on the site of a medieval fortress, first mentioned in 1190. In the first half of the 13th century, the castle Krivoklat used as the residence of Czech kings. After the fire in Prague Castle in 1316, Eliska Přemyslovna moved to this castle. Here the future Emperor Charles IV lived part of his childhood, it was from here that he left for France and returned here with his pregnant wife Blanca Valois. Their daughter, Margarita, was born in the same castle.
The castle repeatedly burned in the flames of a fire, which was not uncommon in those days, and, perhaps, not a single castle escaped this fate. IN Krivoklat the door is shown burnt by the flame of one of the fires
An interesting fact: in the XVI-XVII centuries, the castle, restored after fires, was used as a prison for especially important criminals. Thus, within the walls of this castle, or rather in one very uncomfortable and dark room without windows, the famous alchemist Edward Kelly, who was exiled by Emperor Rudolf II for unsuccessful attempts to get the philosopher's stone, was imprisoned. But Kelly did not give up and all the time spent in prison continued to work on the cherished formula. Later, he was transported to another castle, where he tragically died while trying to escape, and the emperor himself visited the castle-prison and searched it with prejudice, but did not find the coveted formula.
By the middle of the 17th century, the Habsburgs, who were sitting on the throne at that time, were losing interest in the castle. So in 1658 Krivoklat was founded by the Schwarzenbergs, and in 1685 the castle was bought by the Wallensteins. And already in 1733 the castle-fortress passed into the possession of the Furstenbergs. Then, in 1826, there was another fire, and thanks to this, the new owners began its reconstruction, which lasted almost 100 years.
In 1929, the castle was sold to the state for 119 million Czech crowns, and to this day it is the property of the Czech Republic. The castle is under state protection.
I will not describe the inner courtyards of the castle and its halls for a long time - whoever is interested can easily get to it from Prague. I would like to say a separate word about the castle chapel, the castle library, the Fürstenberg Museum, the Middle part of the museum and the Great Hall of the Queen's wing.
castle chapel is pride Krivoklat, more precisely, the pride of the castle is the altar of the chapel.
It was made around 1492 by an unknown craftsman and has been preserved in its original form. In its upper part are the figures of the suffering Christ surrounded by two angels. On the inside of the altar wings there are also paintings by an unknown master.
A new balcony was built over the entrance hall of the chapel. In the front part there is a 17th-century pewter font.
The chapel is still used for festive services.
Castle Library.
It was founded by Joseph Wilhelm I Fürstenberg in the middle of the 18th century. At one time, the library was in third place after the university library and the library of the Strahov Monastery. Its collection includes 53 thousand volumes, and to this day it is one of the richest libraries in the Czech Republic. It contains calendars of the 10th century, the youngest are books dated from the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century. The library stock contains 70 Czech manuscripts and a collection of Bible editions.
Fürstenberg Museum
It contains a gallery of portraits of the Furstenbergs.
In the foreground there is a portrait of the founder of the family and a portrait of Maria Anna von Waldstein. It was she who inherited this castle and the villages around it. Subsequently, she married Joseph Wilhelm von Fürstenberg and thanks to this marriage, the castle passed into the possession of the Furstenbergs. The gallery has two paintings depicting Donaueschingen Castle, where representatives of the Furstenberg family still live. Also in this hall-museum there is a collection of Czech and foreign porcelain and ceramics of the 19th century. The gallery is complemented by baroque inlaid furniture from the 18th century.
Middle part of the museum
This part of the museum is dedicated to Philippine Welser, who lived in 1527-1580. Philippine was born in Germany to a wealthy merchant family. At the behest of Fate, she meets the Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol. After some time, they fell in love with each other, but class differences prevented their marriage - he was the son of the emperor, she was a simple bourgeois. But, in January 1557, they secretly got married in the Brzeznice castle and after a while they moved to Krivoklat. Here they lived secretly for several years, and Philipina bore Ferdinand four children. After some time, the lovers moved to the Austrian castle of Ambrass. And only after 19 years their marriage was legalized by the pope. But after 4 years, the Philippines dies, she was buried in the Golden Chapel of the Ambras Castle. In this room, objects from the castle chapel, furniture and clothing items Philippine Welser are exhibited.
Great Hall of the Queen's Wing
This hall exhibits the works of outstanding masters of Europe. The pearl of the collection is the painting “Seller of Fruits and Vegetables” by Rubens' student, Joachim Becquelar. There is also a unique collection of sledges.
There is something to see in Křivoklát Castle. This is the former residence of Czech kings. There is a library of Czech kings with 53,000 old books, an art gallery and a collection of historical sledges, prison cells and instruments of torture. A solid collection of weapons has been collected in the knight's hall.
Krivoklat Castle - residence of kings
Křivoklát is an ancient castle. The first historical documents in which it is mentioned date back to the 11th century. It was built on the site of a medieval settlement. The castle grew up in the middle of a protected forest to become the hunting residence of the Přemyslid family. In the evening, after tiring wild animal chases, real fun reigned here: a freshly shot wild boar was roasted on a spit, hunters showed off their trophies, poisoned hunting stories and drank beer, which was brewed right there at a small brewery.
The castle is located 40 km from the capital. The darkened outer walls and tiled roofs of the ancient building rise above the hill. Above them rises the snow-white round Guderka tower, covered with a conical dome. Its height is 42 m; the thickness of the outer walls is 9 m. There were legends about the origin of the unusual name of the tower. In the XVI-XVII centuries. it was a prison - then a torture chamber was placed in the lower part of the building. The prisoners were tortured in such a way that they had to play music (in Czech - hudba "gudba") in the opposite tower of the Guderka to drown out the screams of the tortured. Today, the tower contains a collection of hunting equipment and trophies.
Royal Hall, photo by Roland Christian Richter
In the Royal Hall, photo by Roland Christian Richter
The tour of the castle starts from the first courtyard. In some rooms of Křivoklát, original stained-glass windows, window bars, wall paintings, paintings, and authentic wooden furniture from the Gothic period have been preserved to this day. The Royal Hall is crowned with a magnificent star-shaped vault. This huge room amazes those who enter with its size. On the territory of the Czech Republic, this is the largest front room after the Vladislav Hall.
Chapel
Carved altar from the 15th century, photo by Tobiastaticek
The pride of the castle is its chapel. It has retained its late Gothic appearance and is still in operation; services are held there. In the chapel there is a carved altar of the 15th century, its relief design was made by an unknown master in the style of flaming Gothic. The upper part of the altar group is crowned by the figure of Christ surrounded by angels. The side wings of the composition are decorated with multicolor painting (the name of the artist is also unknown).
Library, photo by Ivo Weiss
The castle library has a collection of literature from 53,000 volumes, including old calendars, the first Czech editions of the Bible, manuscripts, manuscripts. Some copies are of particular value, because. were printed with a gold needle. According to the research of the expert R. Mašek, most of the Kršivoklát library was collected by one person - the largest bibliophile collector of the 19th century - Carl Egon Ebert from the Fürstenberg family.
Exhibition about the Furstenberg family
Gallery of family portraits, photo by Ivo Weiss
A separate exposition of the castle tells about the history of this family. The Furstenberg Museum contains a gallery of family portraits, collections of ceramics and porcelain, baroque inlaid furniture. The castle has an exhibition dedicated to Philippine Welser, who lived here in 1527–80. in a secret marriage with the Tyrolean Archduke Ferdinand. In the exhibition you can see personal items and furniture that belonged to the Philippines. The Great Hall of the Queen's Wing displays paintings by European masters and a collection of antique sledges.
Legend of Kelly
After the main excursion route, during which you will definitely not be bored, you will be served a “dessert”: a story about the English alchemist E. Kelly imprisoned in the castle. Rumor has it that he ended up in prison because he refused to tell the secret of the Philosopher's Stone to Emperor Rudolph II. Maybe somewhere on the wall of the castle, before his death, he drew this formula ...
Restoration and research work in Křivoklát has been carried out from 1970 to the present. The castle has belonged to the Czech state since 1929. It is open to tourists all year round, but in November-December it receives visitors only on weekends.
Tickets
Children under 6 years old - free of charge.
The opening hours of the castle are constantly changing, so check the website before visiting.
How to get there?
There are no direct trains or buses from Prague to Křivoklát. You will need to change trains in Beroun or Rakovnik.
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