Karlštejn, CZECHIA – Almost every Czech has heard about this place at least once during history class, yet only a few foreign tourists know about it. It is not far from Prague, but you have to make the almost one-hour journey from the capital to get there. But I swear: It is worth it!
Karlstejn Castle is located in the Central Bohemian region, some 40 kilometers southwest of Prague. YJI students visited this place in July during Youth Journalism International’s 2023 Global Conference in Prague.
As a native Czech, I knew how beautiful the castle was and I was familiar with its rich history. I did not realize how complicated it must be for foreigners to understand the significance of it given that they do not know Czech history and deep Czech culture.
Let’s try to outline at least a part of it in this article as a way to entice you to visit this nice place.
Karlstejn Castle was founded in the middle of the 14th century by Bohemian king Charles The Fourth. Charles was very popular at his age and people these days consider him the best Czech monarch ever.
He innovated Prague (his predecessor, his father Jan Lucembrsky, had no interest at all in caring about the city), and founded the first university in then Bohemia, today Czechia.
This clever man had four wives and many children. It is without a doubt that he did the most for the nation in its history.
The castle alone was meant as a summer place for The King. After the construction was finished in 1365, the crown jewels were moved there from Prague and stayed here even after Charles died in 1378.
Over the centuries, the castle has always been in the hands of the king or a state institution, never in private hands. It has gone through a number of reconstructions but the goal is to keep the castle in its natural form from the 14th century.
Renata Pernegrová is a Reporter with Youth Journalism International from Czechia. She wrote this piece.
Contributing photos: Senior Reporters Joanne Yau from Hong Kong and Anjola Fashawe of England; Senior Photographer Anne van Mill of the Netherlands and Associate Editors Arooj Khalid from Pakistan and Mary Majerus-Collins from the United States.
