Křivoklát Castle how to get there from Prague. Gothic medieval castle Křivoklát. Practical information for solo travelers

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.

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:

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.

Records mentioning the royal castle of Křivoklát date back to 1100, although today's buildings date back to the end of the 13th century. Krivoklat Castle was expanded and strengthened at the end of the 14th century, thanks to frequent repairs and constant restoration of the castle, all stages of the Gothic style have been preserved. The castle is considered to be a unique architectural structure and is also similar to the concept of a French castle. The castle was once the royal hunting lodge of Karel IV.

Inside you can see the vaulted Royal Hall, a Gothic chapel with a carved altar, dungeons that were used as a prison and now house a grim assortment of torture instruments, as well as the Knights' Hall, a collection of late Gothic paintings and many sculptures. Krivoklat is located 40 km west of Prague, with 250,000 visitors a year it is the second most visited castle in the Czech Republic.

The protected landscape area of ​​Křivoklacko hides the castle, which, thanks to its beautiful location surrounded by forests, was the favorite of many Czech kings. The traces of the Czech kings and the splendor of their way of life are still visible at every step. The halls of Křivoklát Castle have witnessed many festivities and celebrations, as well as many political and fateful diplomatic negotiations.

During the tour, you will be enchanted by the interiors of the late Gothic chapel and the Royal Hall. You will love the library with 52,000 volumes. A visit to the torture chamber will leave its own impression. And you will be enchanted by the magnificent view from the Great Tower. Cultural events and traditional markets at the castle will introduce you to the crafts and goods produced by the inhabitants of the Křivoklacko region.

Reason for visiting

The most valuable part of the castle, with its massive cylindrical tower, is the Royal Hall, which has magnificent vaults. After the Vladislav Hall in Prague Castle, it is the second largest hall in the Czech Republic. Every year in the first week of August, a traditional crafts fair and carving festival is held in the castle courtyard. You'll see dozens of woodworkers at work, as well as a permanent display of their creations.

Křivoklát Castle

Working hours

March, November, December: Saturday - Sunday 9:00 - 12:00, 13:00 - 15:00.

April, October: Tuesday - Sunday 9:00 - 12:00, 13:00 - 15:00

May, September: Tuesday - Sunday 9:00 - 12:00, 13:00 - 16:00

June - August: Tuesday - Sunday 9:00 - 12:00, 13:00 - 17:00

January and February: only booked groups with a minimum of 10 persons.

How to get there

From Prague from the central station (Hlavni Nadrazi), take the train in the direction of Favor, at the Benesov stop near Prague. From the station it is a 15 minute walk to arrive at the castle. Or by bus from Florenc bus station. By car, follow the Prague-Brno highway and take the Mirosovice exit (Exit 21) and follow the tourist signs.

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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 are better off not 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 could not 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 connected with 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.

Among the dense dense forests, there is one of the most famous medieval Czech castles - the royal castle of Křivoklát. The rich history and original late-Gothic appearance of this Czech medieval castle regularly attract thousands of tourists.

I’ll immediately say a few words about how to correctly pronounce the name “Křivoklat”. That's right, with " w"in the middle is the name of this Czech castle. The letter of the Czech alphabet" ř " ("er with gachek") changes its pronunciation depending on neighboring sounds - surrounded by vowels and voiced consonants, it sounds like " LOL", if there is at least one voiceless consonant nearby, as in the name of the castle (" Křivoklat"), then "ř" is pronounced dull - " rsh". So, if you hear Russian guides calling the Gothic Czech castle "Křivoklát", feel free to correct them. Pronounce correctly " Křivoklát". More details about the features of the Czech language can be found on the corresponding page, but for now let’s turn to the rich history of the Czech medieval castle Křivoklát.

History of the castle

The first mention in chronicles of medieval castle Křivoklát dates back to 1110, when the Czech king Vladislav I imprisoned his cousin Olomouc prince Ota Černý in this Czech castle, apparently for attempting to rebel. True, none of the modern archaeological studies confirm this age of this Gothic Czech castle; the oldest discovered masonry dates back to the beginning of the 13th century. Apparently, the medieval hunting castle Křivoklát, built at that time by King Přemysl Otokar I, was built on a different site than the first castle mentioned in the chronicles. The construction of the Czech castle Křivoklát was completed under the next king, Wenceslas I, a great lover of hunting, who often visited the Czech castle Křivoklát, located in the center of a vast royal hunting reserve.

The descendants of Wenceslas I were not such passionate hunters, so by the end of the 13th century, the Czech medieval castle of Křivoklát was a little abandoned, even going as far as the capture of this Czech castle in 1307 by Vilem Zajc. True, with the death of the latter in 1319, this medieval Czech castle returned to the ownership of the Czech kings. In 1316, after the great fire at Prague Castle, the Czech queen Eliska Přemyslovna lived here with her three children, the eldest of whom Wenceslas later became the most famous Czech king, Charles IV. Apparently, the future emperor of the Holy Roman Empire liked life in Křivoklát, because later Charles IV returned to this Czech medieval castle more than once - here he brought his first wife Blanca Valois immediately after the wedding, and here his first daughter Marketa was born. Also in the Bohemian castle Křivoklát a number of the most important documents of the Czech kingdom were signed, in particular the Royal Law of 1355.

Subsequently, the medieval castle of Křivoklát began to lose its significance, especially after it was heavily destroyed during the Hussite Wars in 1422, when it changed hands four times. True, at the beginning of the 16th century, this Czech medieval castle was completely restored and reconstructed in the neo-Gothic style; its appearance at that time has generally been preserved to this day. True, in those days it was used mainly as a prison for especially important criminals. For two years, the famous English alchemist Edward Kelly was imprisoned here for failing to discover the secret of the philosopher's stone. The further history of the Křivoklát castle in the Czech Republic was marked by a change of several owners, two large fires and a major restoration completed by 1921. And since 1929, this Gothic Czech castle was purchased into state ownership, where it remains to this day.

Legends of Křivoklát

The rich history of the Czech medieval castle Křivoklát predetermined the presence of a large number of legends and beliefs associated with it.

Philosopher's Stone

At the end of the 16th century, the famous English alchemist and philosopher of that time, Edward Kelly, was invited to the court of Emperor Rudolf II.

Invited, naturally, in order to obtain the philosopher's stone for the emperor. There were no restrictions on the means, work went on in the laboratory day and night, but to no avail. Finally, the emperor got tired of this, and he imprisoned the unlucky chemist in the Czech medieval castle of Křivoklát, which at that time served as a prison for important criminals. The Englishman spent almost two years in a cramped cell, without ceasing to write his works. They say that he nevertheless discovered the secret of the philosopher's stone, but, not wanting to share it with the treacherous emperor, he encrypted the formula and hid it somewhere in this medieval castle. After the tragic death of the alchemist while trying to escape from Gnievin Castle, Rudolf II carefully searched all the premises of Křivoklát, but found nothing.

Since then, many adventurers have visited this Czech castle, hoping to find the hidden secret of the philosopher's stone. But all to no avail...Perhaps you will be lucky in your search...

Křivoklát nightingales

When in 1335 the young wife of the future Emperor Charles IV Blanca gave birth to her first child, daughter Marketa, in the medieval castle of Křivoklát, a loving husband, in order to brighten up the forced six-week imprisonment of his wife, ordered the local residents to collect all the nightingales from the surrounding forest and settle them under the windows of this castle in the Czech Republic. . It is unknown how this was practically accomplished, but they say that the young princess was delighted with the birdsong. The result impressed Charles so much that, already as emperor, he issued a decree according to which every future royal person who was delivered of a child in the Czech castle of Křivoklát has the right to a similar honor.

True, only one more woman was able to take advantage of this privilege - the wife of Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol, Filipina, who gave birth here in 1560 to her son Charles, and three years later to twins Philip and Maria. But local legends say that to this day, when a late-term pregnant woman enters these walls, you can hear the enchanting nightingale singing outside the windows of the medieval Křivoklát castle.

Huderka Tower

Where did this sonorous name come from for the famous tower of the Czech medieval castle Křivoklát - Gooderka? Some say that this name comes from the fact that it stands on the corner. Others say that the modern name comes from the name "Gulerka" - after one of the commandants of the Gulera castle. But most likely, this name comes from the Czech word " goodba"(hudba) - music. Because when in the 16th-17th centuries the medieval castle of the Czech Republic Křivoklát was turned into a prison, a torture chamber was located under this tower. And so that the terrible screams of the unfortunate prisoners did not darken the gentle hearing of the nobles who were visiting near the castle, in the tower housed musicians who played (in Czech - "buzzed"") at the highest possible volume on their instruments.

Practical information for solo travelers

How to get to Křivoklát by car

To get to the Czech castle Křivoklát by car, leave Prague by road R6 direction to Kladno, after 26 km take exit No. 25 onto the road 236 , direction Stochov, Křivoklat-Laný, about another 17 km along this road and then follow the signs to Hrad Křivoklat on the way to 201 about 4 more kilometers. You can leave your car in one of the parking lots available under the castle, and then you will have to climb about 250 meters on foot.

How to get to the castle by public transport

You can get to this Czech castle by train or bus, but it will be a little more difficult - there is no direct connection with Prague, you will have to change trains either in Beroun or in Rakovník. Here are some possible options:

What to see

In the castle itself, in addition to its unique appearance, the interior spaces are very interesting - a huge Knight's Hall, a chapel with a colored altar, cells where the unfortunate prisoners languished, preserved instruments of torture - a rack standing right in the courtyard, an iron cage for water torture, pincers and other instruments executioners. They will also show you a room without windows and doors, into which they threw those condemned to death by starvation, after which they walled up the only hole in the ceiling so as not to hear their screams and moans. This Czech castle also has a wonderful library with many rare books from the 17th-18th centuries.

Opening hours of Křivoklát Castle

For visitors, the Czech castle Křivoklát is open all year round, from November to March 25 - from 10.00 before 15.00 hours, April and October - until 16.00 . In May-June and September - until 17.00 , July August - 9.00-18.00 . Closed on Monday, in January-March - Sunday. In November-December, Křivoklát Castle is open only on Saturdays and Sundays.

Entrance tickets of two types - 110 CZK for visiting the Gothic palace, for children (under 6 years old free) - 80 CZK, family (2 adults and up to 3 children) - 290 CZK. A full sightseeing tour costs 190 CZK (children 130 CZK, family ticket 490 CZK). If the excursion is in a foreign language, you will have to pay an additional 50 CZK per adult and 40 CZK per child. But you can go with a Czech guide, simply taking the text of the excursion printed in Russian.

Well, if you suddenly get carried away by visiting the castle and miss the last bus, or you simply want to stay longer in this romantic castle, then you can spend the night in one of the cozy hotels in Křivoklát. Here is the link to the search page:

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For more complete practical information, the website of the Czech castle Křivoklat "www.krivoklat.cz"

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.

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:

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.