Křivoklát Castle in the heart of protected forests. Gothic medieval castle Křivoklát Road from the station to the castle

Let's take a look together at the beautiful medieval hunting castle of Křivoklát, which is located near Prague, and where the film “The Chronicles of Narnia” was filmed.

Beautiful medieval castle Křivoklát is located in a picturesque dense forest very close to Prague (50 km).

The first mention of the castle dates back to the 12th century, when Křivoklát was used as a hunting castle by Czech rulers. In the 16th century, the castle belonged to the Habsburg dynasty, and a prison was organized in the castle. In 1743, the castle came into the possession of the princely family of Fürstenberg, who reconstructed the castle in the 19th century.

At different times, many famous rulers visited the castle, for example, King Rudolf II of Germany.

While visiting the castle, you will see a dungeon, a knightly and royal hall, a chapel, a collection of guns, an exhibition of sleighs brought from Holland, and a luxurious royal library with more than 50 thousand books. The collection of books is amazing, because this is one of the largest collections of this kind of books in all of Europe, in it you can see such unique publications as the Psalter of the 11th century. The advantage of the castle is that you can take photographs in it; nowhere else in the Czech Republic have I come across castles where photography of the interiors was allowed.

Křivoklát Castle is also famous for the fact that various films were filmed there. The most famous film that was filmed in the castle is "The Chronicles of Narnia".

How to get to Křivoklát Castle

You can get to the castle in the following ways: with a tour, and by train. If you go by train, you can combine a visit to the castle with, which is located on the way to Křivoklat. You can get to the castle by train, from Prague from the main station, first you go to the city of Beruon, where you need to make a change and then the single-track train will go straight to Křivoklát, the travel time from Prague is approximately 1 hour 30 minutes. The road to the castle is very picturesque and will not leave anyone indifferent. The advantage of this castle is that it is open to visitors in winter, but it is still better to check the opening hours on the official castle page.

We tell you how and where to buy a tour of the Czech Republic in Russian in the article: “”

After visiting the castle you can go to an excellent hunting restaurant "U Jelena", which is located next to the castle. Restaurant address: Křivoklát, Hradní 53. This restaurant serves delicious venison and other game dishes, and the restaurant's interior is designed like a hunting lodge.

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The Czech Republic is one of the most beautiful European countries. In many ways, it received this status due to the huge number of perfectly preserved castles. To the west of Prague is the royal castle of Křivoklát, which is visited by thousands of tourists every year. It is worth noting that Křivoklát has a solid history - it is one of the most mysterious castles in the Czech Republic, with many legends associated with it. In addition, scientists still cannot determine exactly in what year Křivoklát Castle was built.

Křivoklát has a solid history - it is one of the most mysterious castles in the Czech Republic, with many legends associated with it.

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 Wenceslas I, 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.

Subsequently, the castle was not used for a long time and fell into disrepair. The owners changed, but were in no hurry to put the building in order. Only in the 16th century Křivoklát underwent reconstruction and after that it did not radically change its appearance. In 1929, the castle became state property.

Throughout its history, Křivoklát has suffered greatly from fires. The fire was merciless to the castle building - by and large, Křivoklát burned every 200 years since 1422.

An excursion to the castle will be of interest to many tourists, since there is a lot to see in Křivoklát. For example, here is the library of the Czech kings, which houses 53 thousand ancient books. It is worth noting that some copies are of particular value because they were printed using a gold needle. In the knight's hall, attention should be paid to the solid collection of weapons. Among other things, there is also an art gallery. Faint-hearted travelers should avoid going down to the basement: there are prison cells and instruments of torture here. You will also be able to explore the room without windows and doors, where prisoners were left to die without water or food. In addition, there is a collection of historical sleighs.

Take the time to walk up the 72 steps leading to the 42-meter castle tower. From here you have a beautiful view of the territory of Křivoklát.

Castle legends

A huge number of legends are associated with this castle. Three of them can be called the most famous. The first is related to the philosopher's stone. Emperor Rudolf II invited the English alchemist Edward Kelly to his place so that he could obtain the philosopher's stone for the ruler. The scientist had a laboratory and an unlimited amount of money at his disposal for his experiments, but he was never able to get the stone. In 1591, Rudolf II realized that Kelly could not do anything and sent him to Křivoklát, which at that time was being used as a prison. The alchemist spent two years in captivity and after that agreed to again conduct experiments and work for the emperor. However, the philosopher's stone was never found, and Edward Kelly ended up in another prison - Gnevin Castle. In 1597, he died during an unsuccessful escape from captivity. 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.

The second legend says that pregnant women will certainly hear nightingales singing here. The legend is related to the fact that in 1335 Blanca Valois, the wife of Charles IV, gave birth to a daughter, Marketa, in the castle. To thank his wife, the happy father ordered to collect all the nightingales in the area and place them under the windows of his wife.

Another legend is associated with the name of the Huderka Tower, which comes from the Czech word “hudba” - “music”. The fact is that in the 16th and 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.

Practical information

Křivoklát is open all year round. November-March - from 10:00 to 15:00; 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.

There are two types of entrance tickets. Inspection of the Gothic Palace - 170 CZK, children under six years old - free, over six years old - 120 CZK, family ticket (two adults and up to three children) - 460 CZK. Full sightseeing tour in a foreign language - 340 CZK.

It is most convenient to buy a tour in advance from an agency or come on your own by car. Getting there by public transport is more difficult, since there are no direct trains or buses from Prague. You will have to change trains in Beroun or Rakovnik. Prices on the page are for April 2019.

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 the former hunting grounds are 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 speech was changed to the one familiar to Czech ears with the ending klat (deck) - Křivoklát.

History of the castle

Over its 900-year history, the castle has changed owners more than once, who completed the construction at their own discretion. In the 13th century, the fortifications 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 castles, of which only memories remained in the form of a Romanesque window on the first floor.

At the beginning of the 13th century, by order of Přemysl Otakar, outbuildings were built here, wings were added to the upper castle, and the lower part of the palace was reconstructed. Afterwards, Křivoklát Castle underwent several more transformations, as a result of which it acquired the appearance of an early Gothic castle. The large main hall occupied the entire first floor of the western palace. As a result, by the end of the Přemyslids' ownership, Křivoklát became a complex structure of seven parts, with three towers and many service rooms.

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. The hare did not restore 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 possession of the Crown. He understood the strategic importance of this place and in the last years of his reign he commissioned a major reconstruction of Křivoklát. A new wide road now led to the castle, and the area of ​​the castle as a whole was increased. The wall surrounding 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 capture 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 Władysław of the Jagiellonian. Under him, Křivoklát acquired the appearance of a late Gothic castle. The upper castle was completely rebuilt, the once-built wall between the castles was removed, and 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. Subsequently, the Czech monarchs, for reasons unknown today, treated the castle with disdain. For example, during the reign of Rudolf II, the castle housed a prison for noble swindlers and state criminals. 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 Rudolf liked. In 1583, he acquired the brewery where the Krusovice drink was produced and annexed 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 castle and the factory were no longer needed by the Habsburgs.

In 1658, Křivoklát was pledged to the Schwarzenbergers, then sold to Arnošt Joseph from Wallenstein and finally to the Fürstenbergs, who again took up brewing.

From the second half of the 19th century, restoration of Křivoklát Castle began, in which the architects Josef Mocker, Humbert Walcher von Moltein, and Kamila Huberta took part. But in 1929, the state became the owner of Křivoklát Castle.

The massive entrance to the castle is paved with stone blocks, and the steps of the staircase are carved from solid sandstone slabs.

In several rooms, stained glass windows, windows with hexagonal bars, doors with forged locks, and painted panels have been preserved. And unique pieces of furniture - for example, a table with inlay from different types of wood, folded into the image of Křivoklát. The most magnificent building is the Royal Hall, which is second in size only to Vladislavsky in the Old Palace of Prague.

The castle chapel has hardly changed. The carved altar is 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 out and all of this is one meter by meter in size!

The interior of the Queen's Wing is dedicated to the castle's resident 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 Křivoklát Library contains more than 53 thousand volumes, including old and unique editions, such as the 11th century Psalter.

The library has exhibition halls. In one there is an exhibition of ancient sleighs with openwork carvings and paintings in the Baroque spirit. There are sleds for women with an interesting design. Under the seat there was a box lined with metal on the inside, into which hot bricks were placed, 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 lances on top.

The Great Tower itself is impressive in its size: height 32 meters, external walls 9 meters thick, internal walls 3 meters. It was possible to enter it only through a hole at a 15-meter height using a ladder.

The lock is open:
in April, September 09.00–16.00, every day except Monday;
in May - August 09.00–17.00, every day except Monday;
in October 09.00–15.00, every day except Monday;
in November - December (until December 20) 09.00–15.00, only on weekends and holidays;
from 20.12 to 01.04 the castle is closed to visitors.

Excursion price:
for adults - 150 Kč;
for children, students and pensioners - 80 Kč.
How to contact: +420 313 558 440; 313 558 440

40 km west of Prague, in the picturesque valley of the Berounka River, lies the hunting castle of the Bohemian kings, which will immerse you in the Middle Ages.

Krivoklát Castle (Czech Křivoklát, pronounced Křivoklát, or Křivoklát) is one of the most famous and oldest castles in Eastern Europe, where the furnishings of that era have been preserved almost untouched. The beautiful castle in the depths of a national reserve protected by UNESCO has become a favorite place for newlyweds and cinematographers. More than one film was filmed here, including The Chronicles of Narnia.

Myths and facts

Back in the 11th century, Fort Krivoklat arose in the depths of a dense forest near the village of Zbekno. Two centuries later, a Gothic-style castle was built in its place by the Přemyslid dynasty, who ruled in the 13th century. The princes loved to relax in these rich hunting grounds and often visited him. But after the conquest of Wilhelm Waldeck, the castle burned down in 1307.

The royal estates were revived by Prince Wenceslas, the future Emperor Charles IV, who was exiled to Krivoklat by his father Johann of Luxembourg. The updated structure added an upper courtyard and a large tower, which have retained their outline to this day.

The name of Karl is 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 Krivoklat, delighting tourists with their wonderful trill, and the path from the castle to the stream is called singing.

Krivoklat Castle burned more than once in the fires of the Hussite Wars, but each time it was 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.

Krivoklat 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 , 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 Krivoklat 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.

The dilapidated castle was bought by the Fürstenberg dynasty in 1733, who used Krivoklat 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, Krivoklat Castle was declared a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic and is open to the public.

What to see

The crown jewel of Krivoklat 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.

Krivoklat Castle is open from 9.00 to 18.00 every day except Mondays, from April to December.
Cost: 200 CZK (7 EUR) for adults and 120 CZK (4 EUR) for students and children.
*The best way to get there is by car; direct buses from Prague run on weekends.
Official website: www.krivoklat.cz

There is a lot to see at Křivoklát Castle. This is the former residence of the Czech kings. There is a library of Czech kings with 53 thousand old books, an art gallery and a collection of historical sleighs, prison cells and instruments of torture. In the knight's hall there is a substantial collection of weapons.

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 center of a protected forest to become the hunting residence of the Přemyslid family. In the evening, after a tiring chase of wild animals, real fun reigned here: a freshly shot wild boar was roasting on a spit, hunters showed off their trophies, told hunting tales and drank beer, which was brewed right there in a small brewery.

The castle is located 40 km from the capital. The darkened exterior walls and tiled roofs of the ancient structure 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. Legends have been formed about the origin of the unusual name of the tower. In the XVI–XVII centuries. it was a prison - then a torture chamber was located in the lower part of the building. The prisoners were tortured in such a way that in the opposite Huderka tower they were forced to play music (in Czech - hudba “hudba”) in order to drown out the screams of the tortured. Today the tower houses a collection of hunting equipment and trophies.

Royal Hall, photo Roland Christian Richter

In the Royal Hall, photo by Roland Christian Richter

The tour of the castle begins from the first courtyard. Some rooms in Křivoklát still have original stained glass windows, window grilles, wall paintings, paintings, and original wooden furniture from the Gothic period. The Royal Hall is crowned with a magnificent star-shaped vault. This huge room amazes those who enter with its size. In the Czech Republic, this is the largest ceremonial room after the Vladislav Hall.

Chapel

Carved altar from the 15th century, photo: Tobiastaticek

The pride of the castle is its chapel. It has retained its late Gothic appearance and is still in operation; Divine 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 Flamboyant Gothic. The upper part of the altar group is crowned with 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 Ivo Weiss

The castle library contains a literature collection of 53,000 volumes, including ancient calendars, first Czech editions of the Bible, manuscripts, and manuscripts. Some specimens are of particular value because... were printed using a gold needle. According to the research of expert R. Masek, most of the Křivoklát library was collected by one person - the largest bibliophile collector of the 19th century - Karl Egon Ebert from the Fürstenberg family.

Exhibition about the Furstenberg family

Gallery of family portraits, photo Ivo Weiss

A separate exposition of the castle tells about the history of this family. The Fürstenberg Museum contains a gallery of family portraits, a collection of ceramics and porcelain, and 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 belongings 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 sleighs.

The Legend of Kelly

After the main excursion route, during which you will definitely not be bored, you will be served “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 Rudolf II. Maybe somewhere on the castle wall he inscribed this formula before his death...

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 are free.

The castle's opening hours 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 planes in Beroun or Rakovnik.

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