Křivoklát Castle

The castle stands on the site of the original early medieval castle, which was rebuilt and expanded in the 13th century by Přemysl Otakar I. The construction was completed by his son Václav I., who often stayed here. After the fire of Prague Castle, Queen Eliška Přemyslovna also stayed here and Charles IV spent his childhood here. The castle was hit by several fires, which recurred almost every 200 years. The first time was in 1422, when the so-called Man's House was reduced to ashes. It was never restored and its remnants gradually disappeared and overgrown. In 1487, Křivoklát began to be magnificently rebuilt in the late Gothic style by Vladislav II. Jagelonský, but did not complete the reconstruction. A new burgrave's office and a governor's house were built.

This was followed by the reconstruction of the castle, during which one floor was added, and the large Přemyslid hall was vaulted with a star vault. The small knight's hall, the royal chapel, the fort and the walls were also rebuilt. After the death of Vladislav II. his son Ludvík continued the reconstruction. Subsequently, he was in the possession of the Habsburgs and they did not pay much attention to him. Křivoklát began to decay, changed owners and gradually became a state prison and torture chamber. It burned down in 1643, destroying almost everything except the vaulted rooms on the ground floor, the hall and the chapel. Many valuables also burned. Ferdinand III. ordered its partial repair. From 1826, after another fire, Křivoklát was in a state of disrepair, it was not reconstructed until 1880. Since 1929 it has been owned by the state and the reconstructions continue to this day.

When visiting the castle, you will not be in any doubt that it was a hunting lodge. This is evidenced by the collection of hunting items in the Great Tower. Here you will find a unique hunting car in which Emperor Charles VI hunted, a valuable collection of hunting weapons, such as poaching rifles, firearms, hunting crossbows, etc. There are also paintings with a hunting theme. It is also worth mentioning the collection of historic sleighs, which come mainly from the Baroque and 19th century.

Author: Marie Bukovinská