The castle, exceptional even among the Czech castles, not only for its historical significance but also due to its robustness and architecture. It was established by the Czech and Roman King Karel IV in 1348, who gave it the role of the treasury for the coronation insignia and the most valuable relics of the Holy Roman Empire. The basic construction of the Karlstejn castle took more than seven years, and the internal adjustments of the Chapel of the St.
Cross were prolonged until 1365.
The individual parts of the castle are situated at the various height levels, which display their significance. The castle is dominated by a massive prismatic tower, called Great.
The main space of this tower and the whole castle is occupied by the Chapel of St. Cross. Along the lower part of its walls runs a strip of semiprecious stones embedded in a gilded stucco. The vault fronts contain panels created largely by Master Theodorik, which are Gothic paintings of world repute. The unique collection of about 127 paintings represents "the entire army of heavens", ideal or approximate portraits of the saints, holy popes, and bishops, the Knights of the Theban League, holy rulers and church teachers. These works were designed and predominantly painted by Master Theodorik, "the Royal Court painter" of Karel IV. The chapel decoration is supplemented with mural paintings. The vaulting is entirely gilded and covered with small pieces of glass, which represent a starry sky. In connection with this exceptional space, though, we must add that access to the Chapel of St. Cross is strictly supervised and that this interior is visited yearly by only a few percent of the total number of the castle visitors.
Karlštejn impresses upon everybody with its stately manner and the same mood is communicated to visitors by its interior, adjusted as closely as possible to the original Medieval appearance. It is therefore possible along both of the tour routes to behold not only the architecture, which is uncommonly valuable from a historical viewpoint, but also the furnishings approximately corresponding to those seen by the Emperor Karel IV. Of the individual interiors it is, for example, the Ancestors' Hall with a portrait gallery of the Czech kings, Banquet Hall, and royal bedroom, which can be marked out. The moderately sized Chapel of St. Catherine in the Mariánská Tower excels with its valuable Gothic wall decoration.
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