Karlštejn is a market town on the Berounka River in Beroun District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 800 inhabitants and is known for the medieval Karlštejn Castle, which is protected as a national cultural monument and is among the most visited castles in the country.
Etymology The settlement was named after Karlštejn Castle. The initial German name of the castle was , meaning "Charles' castle" (literally "Charles' stone").
Geography Karlštejn is located about east of Beroun and southwest of Prague. It lies in the Hořovice Uplands. The highest point is the hill Velká hora at above sea level. The built-up area is situated in the valley of the Berounka River and its tributary, the stream Budňanský potok. The entire municipal territory lies within the Bohemian Karst Protected Landscape Area.
History The predecessor of Karlštejn was Budňany, a settlement founded in 1348 by craftsmen who built the Karlštejn Castle. In 1952, the modern market town of Karlštejn was created by merging Budňany and Poučník municipalities and named after the castle.
Demographics
Transport Karlštejn is located on the railway line Prague–Beroun.
Sights
Karlštejn is known for the large Gothic Karlštejn Castle. It is one of the most famous and most frequently visited castles in the Czech Republic (8th most visited in 2025). It is protected as a national cultural monument.
The Church of Saint Palmatius was founded in 1351 as a result of the construction of the castle. It was rebuilt to its current Baroque form in the 18th century.
Notable people Kateřina of Komárov (15??–1534), serial killer; lived and murdered here Marie Louise von Scheliha (1904–2003), German noblewoman
Twin towns – sister cities
Karlštejn is twinned with: Althen-des-Paluds, France Montecarlo, Italy Reichenbach im Vogtland, Germany
References
External links