In the Footsteps of Czech Kings A Journey Through Stone, Silence and Stories PART I

PART I – Royal Beginnings

Set out on a romantic journey in the footsteps of ancient kings.vIt may look like the route described in the following story — or it may be completely different.

IIf you wish, we will design a journey like this specifically for you. Simply contact us via the contact form, email, or phone.vOne thing we can promise: you will not be bored.

The Castle That Guarded the Crown

The forest is still quiet when you arrive. The path climbs gently, and for a while, nothing suggests that anything extraordinary is waiting ahead. Just trees, damp earth, and the soft sound of footsteps.

And then, between the branches, stone appears.

Karlštejn does not reveal itself all at once. Its towers rise gradually, layered above each other, as if the castle were growing out of the hill rather than standing on it. This was no accident. When Emperor Charles IV founded Karlštejn in the 14th century, it was meant to be more than a residence. It was a vault. A sanctuary. A place where the most precious symbols of the kingdom — crown jewels and sacred relics — would be hidden from the world.

Legend says that no woman was allowed to stay here overnight. Not even the queen. Whether this rule was ever truly broken remains uncertain, but the story itself tells you something important: Karlštejn was governed by rules, rituals, and silence.

Inside the castle walls, stone absorbs sound. Courtyards feel enclosed, almost introspective. The famous Chapel of the Holy Cross, once accessible only after days of fasting and prayer, is still lined with golden panels and saintly faces — watching, waiting, unchanged. Even today, it feels less like a tourist attraction and more like a preserved state of mind.

Later, as the day warms, it is worth leaving the castle behind for a while. A narrow forest path leads away from the towers, down toward the surrounding villages. The crowds thin out quickly. Birds replace voices. The rhythm changes.

This is where Karlštejn truly settles in — not as a monument, but as a beginning.

In the afternoon, a simple lunch nearby tastes better than expected. Nothing elaborate. Just honest food, eaten without hurry. Stone walls, wooden tables, the quiet satisfaction of having nowhere else to be for the moment.

As evening approaches, the castle disappears back into the trees. It is no longer visible — but it lingers. Not as an image, but as a feeling: of order, restraint, and a time when power was hidden rather than displayed.

Some journeys begin with movement. Others begin with silence.

A Town Curved Like a River

After the silence of Karlštejn, the road begins to loosen. Forests open, valleys widen, and the journey slowly turns outward.

Loket Castle appears almost suddenly — perched high above a sharp bend of the Ohře River, watching over a town folded tightly beneath it. From a distance, it feels compact, self-contained, as if nothing here was ever meant to sprawl.

This was a place of strategy and control. Kings understood its value. Charles IV returned here more than once, drawn by the natural fortress formed by rock and water. The river wraps itself around the town like a protective arm, leaving only a narrow entrance — and no easy escape.

Inside the castle, stone tells a different story than at Karlštejn. Where the royal vault demanded restraint, Loket reveals weight and endurance. Thick walls, low ceilings, narrow staircases. Below the courtyards, underground chambers preserve darker chapters: prison cells, instruments of medieval justice, reminders that power was once enforced as much as it was inherited.

And yet, once you step back outside, the atmosphere changes again.

The town beneath the castle is small and intimate. Streets curve gently, houses lean toward one another, and everything feels scaled to everyday life. There is no need for a plan here. Cross the bridge, look back at the castle rising above the roofs, then let yourself drift.

As the day fades, Loket becomes quieter, softer. The river reflects the last light, and the castle retreats into shadow. A nearby restaurant offers exactly what the moment calls for — solid food, local flavours, a table where time slows down without effort.

Loket does not demand attention. It earns it.

After the order and silence of Karlštejn, this is a place shaped by lived history — where power once stood watch, but life continued below. Held together by stone, water, and patience.