Restaurace Pod Dračí skálou
What to order: a game dish from the menu with a draught Pilsner Urquell.
Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 to 22:00; Sunday until 20:00; closed Monday
geocalia
Day itinerary · 49.94° N · 14.19° E
Karlštejn in a day from Prague, the castle of the crown jewels, 40 minutes away by train.
Forty minutes by commuter train, the walk up to Charles IV's castle, the guided tour, a forest route to the flooded quarries and game dishes by the castle.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Praga fromBarcelona 2 h 30Bilbao 2 h 45Palma de Mallorca 2 h 45Alicante 3 hMadrid 3 hMálaga 3 h 30Sevilla 3 h 30Lanzarote 5 hFuerteventura 5 h 15Gran Canaria 5 h 15
Part of Karlštejn
Add to my trip
Total time8 h
By car45 min each way
TrainAbout 40 min from Praha hlavní nádraží or Smíchov
Castle300 CZK · 55 min with a guide
RouteAbout 2 h return
DifficultyEasy, with a climb
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
-
Leave Prague 45 min by train
commuter train towards Beroun from the main station or Smíchov · check the line's roadworks closures
-
1
On foot up through Karlštejn village to the first gate
cross the Berounka and climb the pedestrian street
- 5 min on foot
-
2
Charles IV's imperial residence, the basic tour of Karlštejn Castle
ticket with a time slot on the website · ask for the Spanish audio guide
- 45 min on foot
-
3
Trail to the flooded quarries of Malá and Velká Amerika
yellow waymark from the Seven Brothers oak · Velká Amerika, half an hour more
- 45 min on foot
-
4
Restaurace Pod Dračí skálou
game and draught Pilsner · closed on Monday · bring cash
Karlštejn 130, 267 18 Karlštejn · +420 311 681 177
Restaurant €€Book - 10 min on foot
-
5
Karlštejn Nativity Scene Museum, with a moving royal crib
weekends from September to November and in December
-
Back home 1 h by train
20 minutes' walk to the station and 40 by train · in Prague by about 17:30
Approximate cost
About €20–35 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
On foot up through Karlštejn village to the first gate
Karlštejn is the shortest day trip from Prague: 40 minutes by commuter train and a walk up through a car-free village to the castle where Charles IV kept the crown jewels. This plan adds the guided tour, a forest route to the flooded Amerika quarries and a game lunch by the castle, and gets you back to Prague in mid-afternoon.
The day, hour by hour
8:30 · Train from Prague. Commuter train towards Beroun from the main station or from Smíchov; they leave every half hour and take about 40 minutes. The line has roadworks with occasional closures: check the timetable for the day.
9:15 · Walk up through the village. You cross the Berounka and climb the main street, pedestrianised, between shops and terraces. About 20 minutes.
10:00 · Basic castle tour. Charles IV's imperial residence, 55 minutes with a guide. Buy the time slot on the website and ask for the Spanish audio guide.
11:15 · Amerika quarries. Before the first gate, go down to the path, leave the village and climb through the forest to the Seven Brothers oak; the yellow waymark takes you to Malá Amerika in about 40 minutes and to Velká Amerika half an hour later. Come back the same way.
14:00 · Lunch at Pod Dračí skálou. Game, draught Pilsner and a fireplace, five minutes from the castle. Open Tuesday to Sunday; bring cash.
15:30 · Nativity Museum. On autumn weekends and in December, the moving real nativity scene, on the square.
16:30 · Return. You walk down to the station in 20 minutes and are in Prague around 17:30.
With children or in winter
With small children, skip Velká Amerika and stay at Malá Amerika, or swap the route for a long walk through the village. In winter, the castle opens fewer days and the route is muddy or icy: leave Amerika for another trip and make lunch longer.
Time20 min
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Grill Restaurant Mlýn
What to order: the fish of the day or the roast sturgeon, ordered 48 hours ahead for four people.
Thursday to Saturday from 12:00 to 22:00; Sunday from 12:00 to 17:00
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Karlštejn
All year, but the castle opens fewer days from November to March (in November, Friday to Sunday). From April to October, on weekdays there are fewer groups. Pod Dračí skálou closes on Mondays.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Buy the castle time slot
The groups fill up in summer and at weekends.
- 2Forest footwear
The Amerika route has roots and mud.
- 3Bring crowns
Pod Dračí skálou prefers cash.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Prague to Karlštejn?
About 40 minutes by commuter train and 20 on foot to the castle.
How much does the day cost?
The castle, 300 CZK; the train is cheap and lunch is around 350–500 CZK.
Can you go with children?
Yes: the basic tour lasts 55 minutes and children pay 90 CZK.
What if it is a Monday?
Pod Dračí skálou and the Grill Restaurant Mlýn close on Mondays, and from November to March the castle does not open that day either: better to go Tuesday to Sunday.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/czechia/karlstejn/itineraries/charles-iv-castle-and-amerika
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.