Křivoklát Castle
Křivoklát Castle is situated on a promontory above the Rakovnický Brook and is one of the most important castles in the Czech Republic. It stands in a hard-to-reach location and is built on an approximate triangular ground plan. Its dominant feature is the circular Great Tower, which can be clearly seen from afar. In the Middle Ages it was a favourite residence for many Czech princes and kings.
Historians assume that the castle was founded in the early 13th century by a prominent Czech family, the Přemyslids, who mainly used it as a hunting lodge. During the reign of King Ottokar II of Bohemia (1233 – 1278), a large, magnificent royal castle was built, where the Czech King and Roman Emperor Charles IV (1316 – 1378) stayed during his childhood and later in adulthood.
Křivoklát also experienced a golden era during the reign of Vladislaus II, who had it rebuilt in the Jagellonian Gothic style and made it one of the most splendid royal residences in Central Europe. In the period of the Hussite wars in the first half of the 15th century, the crown jewels were kept here for a certain period of time. However, it gradually lost its former prestige and after the Habsburgs ascended the Czech throne, Křivoklát even became a prison.
The Dukes of Fürstenberg saved it from complete decline. It took a hundred years to rebuild the castle after a fire in 1826 and was not completed until the 1920s. The Fürstenbergs were the last aristocratic owners – the castle belonged to them until 1929, when it was sold to the Czechoslovak state.
The castle is open all year round, with only minor breaks, and visitors can take advantage of several sightseeing routes, including free guided tours. Among the most precious parts and monuments are the tower with hunting collections, the halls with an exposition of Gothic painting and sculpture, the Huderka tower with the black kitchen, the prison and the torture chamber. The extensive library with 52,000 titles is also unique.
