Křivoklát Castle in the heart of protected forests. Residence of the Czech kings, one of the most interesting castles in the Czech Republic
Story
The first mention of it was in 1110, but the earliest masonry of the castle is considered to be that made in the 13th century. This is why historians suggest that the castle mentioned in the chronicles and today’s Křivoklát are two different buildings. However, there is no single version. Most likely, Křivoklát was founded in the 13th century by the Czech king Přemysl Otakar the First. The castle acquired a finished appearance during the reign of Prince Wenceslas, the future Emperor Charles IV, who was very fond of hunting and visited here often. Křivoklát became a kind of castle for men: it was here that members of royal families and aristocrats came to hunt. Here they stayed for several days in a row - they took a break not only from business, but sometimes also from their wives, talked, enjoyed delicious beer from a local brewery and discussed hunting trophies.
The name of Charles IV is also associated with the legend of the singing path. His young wife Blanca Valois was very homesick for social life in the wilderness of the forest house, and Karl, noticing that she loved to walk along the path near the stream at sunset, ordered the servants to catch the most songbirds in the area and release them in the evenings near the walls of the castle. Listening to the beautiful singing, Blanca became cheerful. They say that the birds remained to live near the walls of Křivoklát, delighting tourists with their wonderful trill, and the path from the castle to the stream is called singing.
Afterwards, Křivoklát Castle burned several times in the fires of the Hussite Wars, but was always completely restored. In the 15th century, a luxurious ceremonial hall in palace style and a chapel, richly decorated with carvings and wooden sculptures, were built.
Křivoklát became a truly magnificent palace inside a powerful fortress. But the castle was never used as a royal residence. Since the 16th century, it served as a prison for especially important prisoners. Here, for example, the bishop of the community of the Czech Brothers, Jan August, and the wife of Ferdinand of Tyrol, Velsa, were kept, but the most mystical prisoner was Eduard Cayley.
Edward Calley is a famous alchemist originally from England, who promised Count Rosenberg, the favorite of King Rudolf II of the Czech Republic, to create a philosopher's stone to turn lead into gold in order to replenish the royal treasury. But Kelly was never able to fulfill his promise, he was arrested and thrown into Křivoklát prison. Queen Elizabeth of England took an unexpected part in the alchemist’s fate and demanded that Rudolf II release him. But, as it turned out, the queen’s patronage played a cruel joke - Rudolf was only convinced that the swindler was really worth a lot, and ordered Kelly to be placed in a large round tower and the guard to be doubled.
The prisoner was walled up in the most impregnable high tower in a cell without windows or doors, and food was thrown through a hole in the ceiling. After a long 30 months in prison, having lost all hope of pardon, Kelly decided to escape. Twisting a rope from a torn sheet, he began to descend from the tower. But the rope could not support the rather large fugitive and broke. Kelly fell and soon died from his injuries.
According to legend, Kelly was still able to obtain the formula of the philosopher's stone, but did not want to reveal it to Rudolf II and hid it somewhere in Křivoklát. According to legend, after the death of the scientist, the king searched the entire castle, but found nothing.
Another legend is associated with the name of the Huderka Tower, which comes from the Czech word “hudba” - “music”. As already mentioned, in the 16th-17th centuries Křivoklát was used as a prison for especially important criminals. The torture chamber was located just under the tower, and, of course, the hellish screams of the prisoners could be heard from there. To drown out the groans, musicians often played in the tower, and at the highest possible volume.
In 1733, the already dilapidated castle was bought by the Fürstenberg dynasty, which used Křivoklát as a family residence and rebuilt it after a devastating fire in 1826. In 1929 they sold the estate to the Czech state. For some time there was a brewery there, and in the late seventies extensive archaeological research and reconstruction of the buildings began.
In 1989, Křivoklát Castle was declared a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic and opened to the public.
Sights of the castle and surrounding area
The crown jewel of Křivoklát is one of the best-preserved Gothic chapels in Europe, with a 15th-century altar decorated with exquisitely detailed carvings. The statues of the 12 apostles, as if alive, float high above the walls, and near the altar stands Jesus, accompanied by two angels with golden wings, and it seems that you can see how the meager clothes of Jesus are blown by the wind.
Another attraction is the royal library, collected in the 18th century, where 53,000 volumes of unique books are stored. The collection contains the earliest printed editions in several European languages, as well as books written in golden needle. The largest book weighs 11 kg and has 2,500 pages.
The Great Royal Hall is impressive in its scale - the second largest in the Czech Republic after the Prague Hall. In the Great Knights' Hall you will see excellent statues, a collection of weapons and hunting trophies. The art gallery features an exhibition of Gothic painting and sculpture.
Climbing the 72 steps of a narrow, winding staircase to the 42-meter tower, you will be treated to wonderful views of the picturesque surroundings. And in the basements of this tower there is a “katovna” - prison cells with instruments of torture.
After the excursion, you can try your hand at archery, or visit the souvenir shops.
A visit to Křivoklát can be combined with Karlštejn Castle, which is very close but very different. Prague Castle is 40 km away. I also recommend seeing Loket Castle near Karlovy Vary and Hluboka Castle near Ceske Budejovice.
Opening hours
Křivoklát is open all year round. November-March - from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; April and October - until 16:00; May-June and September - until 17:00; July-August - until 18:00. Closed on Monday, in January-March - Sunday. In November-December the castle is open only on Saturdays and Sundays.
Price
There are two types of entrance tickets. Inspection of the Gothic Palace - 110 CZK, children under six years old - free, over six years old - 80 CZK, family ticket (two adults and up to three children) - 290 CZK. Full sightseeing tour - 190 CZK, child ticket - 130 CZK, family ticket - 490 CZK.
How to get there
Address: Křivoklát 47, 270 23 Křivoklát, Czech Republic
Phone: 313 558 440
Stop: Křivoklat
GPS: 50.036944,13.878611
By train
You cannot get directly from Prague to the castle - you need to take a train departing from the central station in the direction of the castle with a change in Beroun. There you can take a local train to the village of Krivoklat, and you will have to walk 15-20 minutes to the castle.
By car
For those who prefer to travel by car, the castle can be reached from Prague by driving about 50 km along the Prague - Karlovy Vary highway, following the tourist signs.
By bus
Many buses departing from Prague Florenc bus station connect the central areas of the capital with the suburbs and outskirts. Buses go to Krivoklat Castle on weekends.
how to get there, what to see in the castle Křivoklát.
Křivoklát Castle located in the "Czech Paradise" 59 km from Prague, 25 km from the city of Beroun. A trip to Křivoklát can be combined with a visit to the castle Karlstein , canyons. Křivoklát 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. The castle acquired its current appearance in a romantic style after reconstruction completed at the beginning of the 20th century. At this time, the castle was owned by the Furstenberg family.
Despite the solid elements of the fortifications, Křivoklát Castle gives the impression of lightness of buildings.
Courtyard Křivoklát Castle quite extensive, you can climb the passages between parts of the castle.
Part of the castle wall is visible here. Křivoklát Castle is endowed with some kind of crazy positive energy. I still remember visiting this castle with great warmth. Maybe this is due to 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 Křivoklát Castle There is quite a rich exhibition inside the castle. A Gothic palace and a Gothic chapel are available for viewing. 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.
Křivoklát- a castle where you can wander around, appreciate the power of the fortifications and the beauty of the interior.
In 1929, the Furstenbergs sold the castle to the Czech government, currently Křivoklát Castle is a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic.
Schedule of visits to Křivoklát Castle.
| 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, holidays | 10-15 h |
How to get to Křivoklát Castle?
It is better to get to the castle by car. With or without. 250 meters from Křivoklát Castle There is paid parking.
You can travel by bus (32 minutes) or 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 around the Czech Republic and beyond , this site is a good tool for traveling independently.
Approximate cost of visit Kosivoklat Castle is given in the table:
| Access (with guide) | Foreigners | ||
| Full
CZK / person |
Benefit. CZK / person |
Family | |
| 1 zone -gothic palace | 160 CZK | 120 CZK | - |
| 2 zone -the whole castle | 240 CZK | 170 CZK | - |
Benefits are provided to children under 15 years of age, students under 25 years of age, and pensioners.
I will come to this castle again.
In a picturesque corner of the Czech Republic, surrounded by a large nature reserve near the Berounka River, 50 km from Prague, stands the Gothic castle of the Bohemian kings Krivoklat. This is one of the oldest UNESCO-protected castles in Europe, and has become a favorite location for wedding ceremonies and filming.
Attractions
During the winter and Christmas holidays there is also the opportunity to visit the castle.
Cost of excursions
Most tourists use the purchase of tours that include visits to ancient castles in the Czech Republic. This significantly saves time traveling around the country on a tourist bus accompanied by a guide, and increases the opportunity to visit more unforgettable historical places in the Czech Republic. The cost of the excursion depends on the places you would like to see in the castle and the provision of additional services.
How to get to the castle
By train
You cannot get directly from Prague to the castle - you need to take a train departing from the central station in the direction of the castle with a change in Beroun. There you can take a local train to the village of Krivoklat, and you will have to walk 15-20 minutes to the castle.
By car
For those who prefer to travel by car, the castle can be reached from Prague by driving about 50 km along the Prague - Karlovy Vary highway, following the tourist signs.
By bus
Many buses departing from Prague Florenc bus station connect the central areas of the capital with the suburbs and outskirts. Buses go to Krivoklat Castle on weekends.
Well, I had nowhere to go - I was going alone. I tried to take pictures on the sly, then the guide barked at me and I had to put the camera away (for a short time, but he didn’t know about it).
Now, perhaps, a little about the history of the castle itself:
Křivoklát was built as a hunting castle. The first mention of it dates back 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, Křivoklát Castle was used as the residence of Czech kings. After the fire at Prague Castle in 1316, Eliška Přemyslovna moved to this castle. The future Emperor Charles IV lived here for 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 fire, which was not uncommon in those days, and, perhaps, not a single castle escaped this fate. Křivoklát shows a door burned by the flames of one of the fires.
Interesting fact: in the 16th-17th 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 was imprisoned, exiled by Emperor Rudolf II for unsuccessful attempts to obtain the philosopher's stone. But Kelly did not give up and throughout the time spent in prison, he 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 passion, but never found the coveted formula.
By the middle of the 17th century, the Habsburgs, who were sitting on the throne at that time, lost interest in the castle. So in 1658 Křivoklát was mortgaged to the Schwarzenbergs, and in 1685 the castle was bought by the Wallensteins. And already in 1733 the castle-fortress came 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 won’t describe for a long time the courtyards of the castle and its halls - anyone who is interested can easily get to it from Prague. I would like to say a special 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 the pride of Křivoklát, or rather 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 there are figures of the suffering Christ surrounded by two angels. On the inside of the altar wings there are paintings by an unknown master. A new balcony was built above the chapel hallway. In front there is a tin font from the 17th century. The chapel is still used for holiday services.
Castle Library. It was founded by Joseph Wilhelm I Fürstenberg in the mid-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 from the 10th century, as well as books dating from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. The library collection contains 70 Czech manuscripts and a collection of Bible editions.
Furstenberg Museum. It contains a gallery of portraits of the Furstenbergs. I managed to take a photo, the quality was, of course, terrible, but there was no time to frame the shot - the vigilant guide was always nearby.
Background:
Well, I can’t sit still! And in any of my travels, I try to see as much as possible, these can be other cities and countries or castles. And today I want to tell you about a trip to the castle Křivoklat.
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 my friend unexpectedly refused to go, citing poor health “after yesterday,” and my husband was unable to avoid the upcoming trip.
And so, May 26 - morning, drizzling rain, air temperature about +7, although it feels like +2 no more. My husband and I get on the train and go to Berouna, where they have to change trains to get to a small village called Křivoklat. 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 the employee was sleeping peacefully behind the glass separating him from the outside world.
Having walked around the station building, we find ourselves in an area that resembles Russian dachas: a chain-link mesh separates one area with a house from another. After walking along a corridor of bushes on one side and chain-link mesh on the other side, my husband and I came to the bridge
We crossed this bridge. Well, here comes civilization!
We noticed a small store where we bought a magnet as a souvenir, and my husband decided to buy a card and said that we needed to please the sales girl.
Then we sat in the cafe-restaurant of a nearby hotel. Yes! There's a hotel there!
The rain did not stop, and it was decided to go to this castle Křivoklat.
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
We 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. They brew mead there and it’s simply wonderful!
Well, I had nowhere to go - I was going alone. I tried to take pictures on the sly, then the guide barked at me and I had to put the camera away (for a short time, but he didn’t know about it).
Now, perhaps, a little about the history of the castle itself.
Křivoklat was built as a hunting castle. The first mention of it dates back 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 Křivoklat was used as the residence of the Czech kings. After the fire at Prague Castle in 1316, Eliška Přemyslovna moved to this castle. The future Emperor Charles IV lived here for 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 fire, which was not uncommon in those days, and, perhaps, not a single castle escaped this fate. IN Křivoklat shows a door burned by the flames of one of the fires
Interesting fact: in the 16th-17th 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 was imprisoned, exiled by Emperor Rudolf II for unsuccessful attempts to obtain the philosopher's stone. But Kelly did not give up and throughout the time spent in prison, he 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 passion, but never found the coveted formula.
By the middle of the 17th century, the Habsburgs, who were sitting on the throne at that time, lost interest in the castle. So in 1658 Křivoklat was mortgaged to the Schwarzenbergs, and in 1685 the castle was bought by the Wallensteins. And already in 1733 the castle-fortress came 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 won’t describe for a long time the courtyards of the castle and its halls - anyone who is interested can easily get to it from Prague. I would like to say a special 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 a pride Křivoklat, or rather 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 there are figures of the suffering Christ surrounded by two angels. On the inside of the altar wings there are paintings by an unknown master.
A new balcony was built above the chapel hallway. In front there is a tin font from the 17th century.
The chapel is still used for holiday services.
Castle Library.
It was founded by Joseph Wilhelm I Fürstenberg in the mid-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 from the 10th century; the youngest are considered to be books dating from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. The library collection contains 70 Czech manuscripts and a collection of Bible editions.
Furstenberg Museum
It contains a gallery of portraits of the Furstenbergs.
In the foreground hangs a portrait of the founder of the family and a portrait of Maria Anna von Wallstein. It was she who inherited this castle and the villages near it. She subsequently married Joseph Wilhelm von Furstenberg and thanks to this marriage, the castle came into the possession of the Furstenbergs. The gallery has two paintings depicting Donaueschingen Castle, where representatives of the Fürstenberg family still live. Also in this hall-museum is a collection of Czech and foreign porcelain and ceramics from 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 from 1527 to 1580. Philippine was born in Germany into the family of a wealthy merchant. At the behest of Fate, she meets the Archduke of Tyrol Ferdinand. After some time, they fell in love with each other, but their marriage was hampered by class differences - he was the son of an emperor, and she was a simple bourgeois. But, in January 1557, they secretly got married in Březnice Castle and after a while they moved to Křivoklat. Here they lived secretly for several years, and Philippines gave birth to four children to Ferdinand. After some time, the lovers moved to the Austrian castle Ambrass. And only after 19 years their marriage was legalized by their father. But 4 years later, Philippine died; she was buried in the Golden Chapel of the Ambras castle. This room displays items from the castle chapel, furniture and clothing items from Philippine Welser.
Queen's Wing Great Hall
This room exhibits works by outstanding European masters. The pearl of the collection is the painting “Fruit and Vegetable Seller” by Rubens’ student, Joachim Bekkelaar. There is also a unique collection of sleighs on display here.
