Karlštejn is visited on guided routes rather than wandered freely, and the route you pick shapes the day: the Imperial Residence of Charles IV is the basic circuit, the Karlštejn Castle Chapels are a separate select circuit of 100 minutes for which a reservation is required for individuals as well as groups, and the exclusive whole-castle route is priced on its own again. Commentary is in Czech and selected foreign languages. Tickets that have been bought cannot be returned or exchanged, and the ticket office takes both cards and cash. Bulky luggage and bags, unsuitable headwear, stick or wet umbrellas and animals cannot be taken into the furnished interiors, so travel light on the day. In December the basic circuit runs on short hours and closes altogether from the 21st to the 25th. The trade-off is the climbing. Circuit I has 192 steps in all, 95 up and 97 down; circuit II has 459, 222 up and 237 down, and the tour keeps to the route you booked.
Karlštejn Castle
A Gothic castle founded in 1348 for Charles IV and now a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic, an easy trip out of Prague and a climb up from the village below.
Family Intelligence
Why kids will love it
Older children who like a story get a fourteenth-century fortress built for a Holy Roman Emperor, with the tour doing the explaining. Audioguides are sold in English, German, Russian, Spanish, French, Japanese and Italian for 120 Kč plus a 500 Kč cash deposit, which helps if the guided commentary is over their heads. Photography for personal use is allowed on the Imperial Residence of Charles IV route, but only without flash, tripod, selfie stick or any other lighting equipment.
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Also compare: Karlštejn Castle tickets on Tiqets (affiliate link)
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