HOME | DD

Description
Karlstejn Castle, approx. 28 Km. south west of Prague, was founded in 1348 by the the King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV (Karel IV - as he is known in Czech.) It was built in High Gothic style as a royal treasury to protect Charles's collection of holy relics and the coronation jewels of the Roman Empire. The Water well tower, pictured here, was built to protect a water well, which the silver miners of nearby Kutna Hora had dug. However, after digging almost 80 meters deep into the rock, they never struck water. They connected the pit with a nearby stream and gathered the water into a tank. This was known only by the king and burgraves. If this information had fallen into enemy hands in the time of the siege, there would be nothing easier than to divert the stream-bed, or so much more effectively, to poison it. It is said that for security reasons all workers present at the construction of the channel were beheaded.

The heart of the castle is the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Its walls are covered in sem-precious stones, gilding and 127 panel paintings of saints from the workshop of Master Theodorik. The panel paintings constitute one of the largest collections of Gothic panel paintings in the world. The castle later housed the crown of St.Wenceslas.

Description
Karlstejn Castle, approx. 28 Km. south west of Prague, was founded in 1348 by the the King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV (Karel IV - as he is known in Czech.) It was built in High Gothic style as a royal treasury to protect Charles's collection of holy relics and the coronation jewels of the Roman Empire. The Water well tower, pictured here, was built to protect a water well, which the silver miners of nearby Kutna Hora had dug. However, after digging almost 80 meters deep into the rock, they never struck water. They connected the pit with a nearby stream and gathered the water into a tank. This was known only by the king and burgraves. If this information had fallen into enemy hands in the time of the siege, there would be nothing easier than to divert the stream-bed, or so much more effectively, to poison it. It is said that for security reasons all workers present at the construction of the channel were beheaded.

The heart of the castle is the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Its walls are covered in sem-precious stones, gilding and 127 panel paintings of saints from the workshop of Master Theodorik. The panel paintings constitute one of the largest collections of Gothic panel paintings in the world. The castle later housed the crown of St.Wenceslas.