Page 171 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Prague

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2 Karlštejn Castle
25 km (16 miles) SW of Prague. Tel 311
681 617. £ from Smíchov or Hlavní
nádraží to Karlštejn (1.5 km/1 mile
from castle. The uphill walk takes
around 40 minutes). Open late Jul–
early Jan: days and times vary; call to
check. Chapel of the Holy Rood: May–
Oct: Tue–Sun (Jul & Aug: daily). & 8
compulsory (book in advance). ^
∑ hradkarlstejn.cz
The castle was founded by
Charles IV as a country retreat,
a treasury for the crown jewels
and a symbol of his divine View of the castle at Křivoklát, dominated by the Great Tower
right to rule the Holy Roman
Empire. It stands on a crag Sarajevo that triggered off Mocker. It was originally a
above the River Berounka. World War I. To escape the hunting lodge belonging to
The castle is largely a 19th- Habsburg court’s disapproval the early Přemyslid princes
century reconstruction of his wife, he spent much of his and the seat of the royal
by Josef Mocker. The original time at Konopiště and amassed master of hounds. In the 13th
building work (1348–67) was arms, armour and Meissen century, King Wenceslas I built
supervised by French master porcelain, all on display in a stone castle here, which
mason Matthew of Arras, and the fine furnished interiors. remained in the hands of
then by Peter Parler. You can still However, the abiding memory Bohemia’s kings and the
see the audience hall and the of the castle is of the hundreds Habsburg emperors until
bedchamber of Charles IV in the of stags’ heads lining the walls. the 17th century.
Imperial Palace. On the third Charles IV spent some of his
floor, the Emperor’s quarters are childhood here and returned
below those of the Empress. from France in 1334 with his
The central tower houses the first wife Blanche de Valois.
Church of Our Lady, decorated Their daughter Margaret was
with faded 14th-century wall born in the castle. To amuse
paintings. A narrow passage his queen and young princess,
leads to the tiny Chapel of Charles ordered the local
St Catherine, the walls of which villagers to trap nightingales
are adorned with semi-precious and set them free in a wooded
stones set into the plaster. area just be low the castle.
Today, you can still walk along
the “Nightingale Path”.
3 Konopiště Castle The royal palace is on the
eastern side of the triangular
40 km (25 miles) SE of Prague.
Tel 317 721 366. £ from Hlavní castle. This corner is dominated
nádraží to Benešov, then local bus. by the Great Tower, 42 m (130 ft)
Open Apr–Nov: 10am–noon & high. You can still see some
1–4pm Tue–Sun (Jun–Aug: to 5pm; The many hunting trophies lining the walls 13th-century stonework, but
Oct & Nov: to 3pm). & 8 ^ 0 - at Konopiště Castle most of the palace dates from
∑ zamek-konopiste.cz the reign of Vladislav Jagiello.
On the first floor there is a
Though it dates back to the 4 Křivoklát Castle vaulted Gothic hall, reminiscent
13th century, this moated castle 45 km (28 miles) W of Prague. Tel 313 of the Vladislav Hall in the Old
is essentially a late 19th-century 558 440. £ from Hlavní nádraží via Royal Palace at Prague Castle
creation. In between, Konopiště Beroun or from Masarykovo nádraží (see pp106–107). It has an oriel
had been rebuilt by Baroque via Rakovník (1 km/0.6 miles) from window and a beautiful loggia,
architect František Kaňka and in castle). Open Jul & Aug: 9am–6pm and the chapel has a finely
front of the bridge across the daily; Apr & Oct: 10am–4pm Tue–Sun; carved Gothic altar. Below the
moat is a gate (1725) by Kaňka May, Jun & Sep 9am–5pm Tue–Sun; chapel, the Augusta Prison is
and sculptor Matthias Braun. Nov: 11am–3pm Sat & Sun. named for Bishop Jan Augusta
In 1887, Konopiště was & 8 ^ - ∑ krivoklat.cz of the Bohemian Brethren,
bought by Archduke Franz imprisoned here in the mid-16th
Ferdinand, who later became This castle, like Karlštejn, century. The dungeon now
heir to the Austrian throne. It owes its appearance to the houses a grim assortment of
was his assassination in 1914 in restoration work of Josef torture instruments.

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