PRAGUE SURROUNDINGS

Karlstejn The Czech King and Roman Emperor Charles IV (Karel IV.) beautified the residential seat, Prague Castle, and Prague, which had become the main center of the Holy Roman Empire, in such a way as to represent their status. None of the country's royal fortresses complied sufficiently with his ideas about a safe place for the Imperial crown jewels and treasures. Therefore, he ordered the building of a new castle in the year 1348. It was located not far from Prague on a protected and, considering the military techniques of that time, unassailable spot, on a secluded rock surrounded by five hills. He entrusted the building of Karlstejn to Matthias of Arras, whose successor was Peter Parler. Except for the interior decorations, the castle was finished in the year 1357.
Konopiste The state chateau at Konopiste, including its gardens and large parks, originated in the late thirteenth century. At the end of the first third of the 18th century it was converted into a Baroque chateau and at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries restyled in neo-Gothic. In the course of the centuries it fell into the hands of aristocratic families. The illustrious name of Albrecht of Wallenstein also appears on the list of owners of Konopiste estate. The former seat of Franz Ferdinand d'Este, Archduke and successor to the Austro-Hungarian throne, impresses visitors not only with the beauty of its architecture and rich collections, but also as a witness to the twilight end of a long and important period in the history of the Czech nation and to the demise of the Habsburg monarchy.