Karlštejn Castle Trip - a True Experience of Czech Heritage












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            * Karlštejn Castle Trip - a True Experience of Czech Heritage
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            A checklist of the Czech Republic’s most historic and beautiful sights is not complete wit

            inclusion of Karlštejn castle. A candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Site, my trip there l
            the Erasmus Club of the Faculty of Arts demonstrated just why that is. Standing tall on th
            hillside of Karlštejn village, it represents a truly alternate era of the Czech Republic’s

            time when monarchy ruled the lands and Catholicism was the order of the day.
            A national holiday in the way of Independent Czechoslovak State Day gave us students the c
            make the most of no classes and use it to find out more about this part of Czech history t

            centuries. We were rewarded for our curiosity by beaming sunshine and cloudless skies, all
            very beneficial for the dozens of photographs which were taken! Just forty minutes on a tr

            hustle and bustle of Prague and we were transported back to medieval times.
            We were fortunate to take advantage of the last week of the year which offered us the tour
            Chapel of the Holy Cross, the place in which the Crown Jewels and over 5.000 holy relics w

            so we began our journey throughout the castle and throughout history, seeing and hearing a
            features of the building including the Church of Our Lady and the Chapel of St. Catherine.
            The man behind the construction of the castle was King Charles IV, well known to us Charle

            students as he also serves as the namesake to our college. Both Charles University and Kar
            were founded in 1348, seemingly simultaneous projects for the busy monarch. At this time h
            was not just King, he was also Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, thus leaving his mark thr

            the Czech kingdom, but all of Europe. In Bohemia however, he founded Prague New Town and a
            then, Prague University, he rebuilt Prague Castle and also a number of other castles throu
            Karlštejn however became the most important of these castles. His intention initially for 

            for it to serve as a summer home, but gradually he began to concentrate various valuable o
            most notably with the transfer of the imperial treasure and crown jewels here by the time 
            sanctification in 1365. Karlštejn thus effectively became the symbolic centre of the Roman

            Many of our group were amazed to hear the extent of fortification of the castle done to pr
            valuable items, with some walls almost eight metres thick! Measures like these helped prot
            against any major damage from various attacks, such as that of the Hussite’s in the early 

            The survival of much of the castle’s beautiful original artwork was also a point of admira
            as old as the 14th century still remain intact on the walls, such as the Reliquary Scenes 
            of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which depict Charles IV receiving holy relics and st

            the castle. The walls of this Church also feature some stunning paintings of scenes from t
            showing inspiration from the New Testament and the catastrophes it recounts of the approac
            of the world.

            What makes the survival of these ancient pieces even more remarkable is the various recons
            castle has undergone over the past number of centuries. Its original Gothic style was reit
            late 1400s when damages to the castle were repaired. At the end of the 16th century howeve

            style was introduced with several modifications to the buildings’ original arrangement. Fi
            orders of Emperor Franz Josef I, several modifications and repairs were made and architect
            appointed in 1887 to save the important monument of the Czech past. His office still stand

            the castle today and was another feature we were shown on our visit. He worked on restorin
            Gothic style of the castle, removing some of the Renaissance modifications.
            The importance of the castle was clear to us on this trip, with the timeless architecture 

            features making this a sight not to be missed. From the gold plates on the wall of the Cha
            Cross to the winding staircases and intimate nature of the Chapel of St. Catherine, the wh
            character and significance. As our group gathered for a hearty lunch in the elegant and ch

            of Karlštejn, the mood was high and I think I can speak for everyone when I say it was a g
            a perfect way to experience more Czech culture and understand its heritage. I know Karlšte
            for the awarding of an official UNESCO site!