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Krivoklat Castle - How To Visit
Krivoklat Castle is one of the oldest castles in the Czech Republic. Read about how you can visit Krivoklat Castle, and what can you see there.
Krivoklat Castle is located 57 km away from Prague, which makes it a perfect day-trip destination. Its rich history and medieval look will keep you entertained, and the nature around the castle will give you more opportunities to explore.
The name Křivoklát could have possible originated in either crooked foundations of the castle, křivé klatby, or from the twisted trees that surrounded it.
The history of the castle goes back all the way to the 12th century. Křivoklát was founded by Přemysl Otakar II, who built a prominent royal residence for the future Přemyslid rulers. The most famous Czech king and the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV also visited Křivoklát several times. His first visit though was not something he necessarily desired. Charles IV was imprisoned in Křivoklát as a child by an order of his father John of Luxembourg. Needless to say, this experience was traumatic for Charles. Do not worry about him, his life turned out to be nothing short of legendary.
We have to mention another ruler in connection to Křivoklát Castle - Wladyslaw of Jagelo, who reconstructed and refurbished the castle so well that it survived till today.
At some point, Křivoklát became a state prison of a sort. If you are familiar with alchemy, you might know Edward Kelly, who was serving his sentence in one of the towers of Křivoklát Castle. We talked about that man and his crazy story in our video.
The last owners of Křivoklát Castle, the House of Fürstenbergs, has helped to preserve the castle’s fantastic history and architecture and even enriched it with a museum and a picture gallery.
Here is the official website of Kivoklat castle where you can book your tickets!
The best connection to Křivoklát Castle from Prague is the train that leaves from Prague Main Train Station, and goes to Beroun where you will have to change (be careful, as there is only around 5-10 min for you to hop on the next train), and then get off at Křivoklát.