Czechia’s most famous castle opens new spaces and exhibits after major reconstruction
Czechia’s king of castles, Karlštejn, ceremonially opened new spaces for visitors this Friday after a major CZK 164 million reconstruction. They are the result of three years of work, which included the reconstruction of the imperial residence and the castle’s gothic cellars. An enclosed visitor’s centre has also been built and there are new exhibitions detailing the construction of the castle as well as the history of wine growing in the surrounding countryside.
Karlštejn was built during the mid-14th century by the order of Bohemia’s most famous ruler, Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. It was marked out as special from the beginning, as it was intended to house the regalia of the Holy Roman Empire itself.
The appearance of the castle today is the result not just of its original construction, but also of late gothic, renaissance and even 19th century additions. Its historical importance, beautiful architecture and relatively close proximity to Prague mean that it ranks among the most visited cultural heritage sites in the country and it is popular among both domestic and foreign tourists.
Now these visitors can look forward to an even richer offer of spaces and exhibits to explore, including the reconstructed and newly opened underground spaces below the imperial residence that are filled with exhibits.
Another new feature is the opening of the gothic-era cellars in the building that housed the margrave, or administrator, of the castle in medieval times. Here visitors will be able to view an exhibition detailing the history of Karlštejn and of the surrounding region’s winemaking tradition. The staircase into these newly opened spaces, which was filled with rubble during the 19th century, has been cleared and archeologically excavated.
Situated atop a limestone rock formation, Karlštejn is a dominant feature within the surrounding countryside that offers magnificent views. The administrators have built on this by adding a new terrace to the castle’s southern wing that looks over the meandering Berounka River and the town of Karlštejn, which people usually pass through on their way to the medieval fortress.
The changes are the most significant additions to the castle since its reconstruction by architect Josef Mokr in the 19th century, according to the current castle warden of Karlštejn, Lukáš Kunst. He told Czech Radio that provisions were also made to increase the comfort of those paying a visit to the castle.
“You will be able to have a coffee in the newly-built visitors’ centre. No longer in the open castle courtyard but under a roof, so you’ll be protected from the rain. That was one of the big disadvantages of Karlštejn until now, that it didn’t have such a space that was protected from the elements.”
New toilets have also been built and work was put into restoring the gardens between the inner and outer castle walls.
Most of the CZK 164 million that was spent on the reconstruction came from EU funding, with the Czech state and the National Heritage Institute also contributing significant sums. The ceremonial opening was attended by Culture Minister Martin Baxa, Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura and Regional Development Minister Ivan Bartoš.
