Jon Searles' photos with the keyword: karlstejn

Hrad Karlstejn was built in 1348 on the orders of Karluv (a.k.a. Charles) IV, arguably the most-loved of all Czech kings, who also held the position of Holy Roman Emperor. In addition to being a vacation home for the royal family, Karlstejn was also used as a refuge from war, not only for Karluv's family but also for his collection of holy relics, as well as the crown jewels. The historical musical Noc na Karlstejn (about Karluv IV) is set in Karlstejn, and today, Hrad Karlstejn is the best-known castle in the Czech Republic after Prazky Hrad, and is a favorite tourist destination, even if the village of Karlstejn is otherwise insignificant (although the castle makes it a tourist trap anyway).

So...is it a landscape, or is it a "railway photo?" I have no idea. I like it, though, so I decided to post it even if it doesn't fit easily into any particular category.

This is the next shot in my series on Karlstejn, such as it is. :-) I like the sky detail in this, and the compactness of it. I hope you like it too. :-)

Hrad Karlstejn enjoyed the added security of a dedicated, deep well for surviving seiges, seen here on the right. The flags on the left are those of the European Union (on the left), and the Czech Republic (on the right).

When I arrived in Karlstejn to visit the castle (which I have pictures of in my photostream), I was struck by what nice shape it was in. The underground walkways are dirty and rundown, but for the most part the station is in very good condition, and attractive to look at. It also wouldn't be a bad place to watch trains, as it's reasonably busy, although not the busiest I've seen.