Opinions on Karlstejn Castle?
 

Hi
I'm returning to Prague next month. My travel companion is going for the first time,and has expressed interest in a possible day trip. Last time I did a day trip to Terezin. This time, I don't think we'll end up having enough time, but I understand that within day trip options, Karlstejn Castle is considered the easiest, with frequent train service.

We'll have to see about finding the time, but I'd love to hear from those who have gone to K. Castle as a daytrip--ease and length of the travel, the Castle itself, etc.

topping

Hi there - my family's from Prague, so I have been to Karlstejn many times. It is lovely, and it's in a lovely area - but the tours are HORRIBLE and there isn't much to see besides the castle itself. I took my boyfriend there a couple of summers ago, and we took the English tour and it was pitiful - the guide hardly spoke English and the information was poorly organized and minimal. The displays are also minimal, and not very interesting compared to the museums etc. in Prague. I have never taken the train, always driven, so I can't comment on the length or convenience of the train. But once you arrive in Karlstejn there is a significant uphill hike to the castle - which is lovely in nice weather, but in April will be quite cold. The views from the castle are lovely, but I think there are many more things to do in Prague that would be more worthwhile at that time of year - even if you know the city very well, there are "off the beaten path" sights in Prague that are easier to reach. If the weather is nice, you could visit Sarka park - it's only a 15-min tram ride from Dejvicka and is one of the most beautiful city parks I've been to. Whatever you end up doing, enjoy!

Wow, that is interesting information.
I was thinking of it as a possible nice day or half-day out, with pretty surroundings but with lots of treasures to see inside the castle. Guess not.

Maybe we'll just try to spend time in Prague on Petrin Hill, or in Vinohrady.

thank you

topping one last time

Kutna Hora is listed in the guidebooks as an easy daytrip from Prague. It's a well preserved medieval town.

well, you know I liked Kutna Hora from another thread on this. My Frommers guidebook does say there isn't a lot in Karlstejn castle but that the view is beautiful and there's a few things of interest. YOu might consider a day tour company like the one affiliated with Cedok (Prague Sightseeing Tours), as they make it easy and are very good guides. They combine that castle with a trip the same day to Konopiste castle. Or, you can do one or the other in a half day.

Here is their web site if you don't have it. I recommend the company highly.
http://www.pstours.cz/

Hi Elaine,

Glad to hear you are returning to Prague. I may go again in a few weeks (spontaneous trip)! Anyway, the castles are all neat (Cesky Krum, Konopiste, Karlstein, etc, etc), but require at least a day's worth of energy. There are many tours to make it easy, or you could do public transit. Not a big deal, but you need to allow a day. I agree that Karlstein has the least amount of "stuff" compared with the other major castle destinations. Konopiste would be the most interesting (as I remember it - that is the "hunting" castle, with tons of strange things inside!) Cesky Krumlov is an awesome little town, but will eat up your time.

If you take a tour to Kutna Hora, the main attraction is the chapel of bones. The tour I went on last year did not automatically include that part! They took a hand count, and if the majority wanted to go there, we had to pay extra, and they would take us, and add on an extra hour to the trip! It was cool, but if we had ended up NOT seeing the bone chapel, I would have been really mad.

If you want something within Prague that is off the beaten path, there are tons of ideas.

Take the metro to Vysehrad & see the cemetery, church, and park.

Take the metro or tram to the Flora shopping mall - neat!!! There is also a huge cemetery there, and the Jewish side (bordering the Zelivskeho metro stop) has Kafka's grave.

Explore Petrin Hill or Letna Park. (See the Strahov Monastery around Petrin.)

Go to Bertramka (Mozart museum), and then wander around Andel (Prague's newest section, with modern architecture & conveniences)

Explore Vinohrady, like you said. Parks galore, and the Pavillon shopping mall (good for a cafe stop & window shopping)
Plus awesome architecture.

Anyway, post back if you want more info or ideas. Have fun!

ok, this is digressing but I hope you Prague-ites will keep checking in

As a walking-around area that would be <u>different</u> from from the central heart of Prague (Old Town Square, Wenceslas, Charles Bridge) would you suggest Vinohrady (I understand there is a lot of Art Nouveau architecture) or Petrin Hill or Vyshehrad? The Mozart Museum is already on my list--hard to get to?

Pros and cons on any of the above are appreciated. We'll only have 4 full days and I already know I want to go back to the Jewish Quarter, the Castle, and see more of Mala Strana.

If you bothered to read my trip report--THE PANCAKY PAPERS: THINGORJUS IN PRAHA--you would have seen what I wrote about Karlstein Castle. I don't know why I take the trouble.

Blimey, Mary.

And if you had bothered to read responses to your trip report you would realize that I read it and I responded to it. It was quite a good report.

Sorry you're feeling unappreciated but in my turn, I don't know why you would think I want only that one opinion.

I hope your day gets better. Blimey.

Um, my post was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. I was trying to be funny.

So sorry to put you out.

I never feel unappreciated. I have a husband and a child. I don't need anyone's appreciation at Fodors. I just come here to share travel tales and get a few laughs.

I never got to Karlstejn Castle on my trip to Prague. However, when I was at St. Agnes Convent in Prague, I was very impressed with a few portraits by Master Theodoric there. I then read that 129 of his portraits hang in the Chapel of the Holy Rood in Karstejn Castle; I wish I had been able to go there just to see the chapel. My understanding is that you need to make a reservation to go into the chapel and that a tour group might not be able to get in (you might have to make a reservation on your own if you want to get into the chapel).

Hi again..

The Mozart Museum (Bertramka) is a little tricky to find, but it is in the Andel section, and any local will know how to direct you. (Or you could take a taxi to make it easy). The metro &amp; or trams will also take you near there. It is a small place, so if there is a concert being held there, you might want to tie that in. Just trecking out there for the museum might be using up more time than you want, although it is not that out of the way. It's just in an area removed from the major sites. Another neat place is the Dvorak museum (IP Pavlova area). Maybe you could combine the two for a musical/ historical jaunt. Oh, the Smetana museum is located in the same building as &quot;Club Lavka&quot; - the restaurant/dance club/strip club on the water bordering the Charles Bridge. That one is right downtown &amp; very neat. All remodeled since the flood. I would probably do a whole day of those museums, and link it in with a trip to the Vysehrad Cemetery, where the Czech composers are buried. Neat stuff.

Vinohrady is a neat area. Maybe there is a walking tour, or a guide that can show you some highlights. Otherwise, it is a really big area, and you might wander aimlessly for a long while.

If you really like parks, then maybe the Petrin stroll is for you. I loved walking around there, but if the weather is bad, I would do something else.

So, feel free to ask more... :-)

(isn't it fun planning this stuff?!)

Elaine, I loved trekking up Petrin Hill when I was in Prague. I followed the path outlined in the Cadogan Guide to Prague. I started in the area around Kinsky Gardens; made my way up and stopped at the mini Eiffel Tower and (gulp) climbed some more up to its top for an incredible view of all of Prague below me; and then continued further until I got to the backyard of the Strahov Monastery.

I think Karlstejn Karlstein is off the list for this trip, we just won't have the time.

I actually do have a suggested walking route for Vinohrady, there is a really interesting one in the Insight Guide book, it concentrates on notable architecture in the area.

On at least one day we'll be at the Castle, and I hope on that same day to go back to the Loreto, and also to get to the Mary Victorious church (where the Infant of Prague is). We may spend another half day elsewhere in Mala Strana. For Petrin Hill, where do we get the funicular (for the ascent)?

The funicular to the top of Petr&iacute;n hill starts at the &Uacute;jezd tram stop (trams 12, 22, 23) in Mal&aacute; Strana and runs daily from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (11:20 p.m. from November to March) in 10-15 min. intervals. To take the funicular, use the transfer public transit ticket for 12 Kc. We enjoyed walking along a path with great views over Mala Strana to the midway station where we caught the funicular to the top. As I recall, from the Loreto you walk south to the start of the path below a terrace restaurant below the Strahov Monastery.

thanks all

I have been to all of those composer museums since that's a particular interest of mine. Bertramka is a little tricky to get to because you have to take a tram and I think you can only get the trams from around Andel metro stop that go there. So, first you take a tram or metro or bus to Andel and then another. I'm pretty good with directions, but I got turned around at Andel in trying to find the bus stop as it's a large transportation center there, and probably spent a little too much time doing that. It might have been easier just to walk from there. I figured it out better coming back.

In any case, I don't think I'd make that a must-see unless someone really wanted to go because they loved Mozart and had to. I've seen several Mozart museums (they are all over as he lived so many places), and that one wasn't as good as the ones in Vienna or Salzburg. It's a pleasant area, but I wouldn't make it top priority. If you do go, you could combine that with a tour of the Staropramen beer brewery which is near the Andel metro stop. That's a popular Czech beer and that would be different than all the art museums and churches, and a real part of Prague history. They have a website that describes tours and where you can sign up for one (they have some in English), go to the Visitor Information section:

http://www.staropramen.com/english/

This is called the Smichov area, you may know. That isn't that far from that funicular and the tram stop, so I could see a day planned in doing all those things in that area.

I am not familiar with the Smichov area

more great info, thanks