The castle was built in 1348 by the Czech King and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. as a place for safekeeping the royal treasures, especially Charles´ collection of holy relics and the coronation jewels of the Roman Empire. Karlštejn is located in the heart of the Karlštejn Nature Reserve  and is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture. 
The fascinating Chapel of the Holy Cross in the Great tower is decorated with 2994 polished gemstones and the 129 famous panel paintings are by Master Theodoric.

by car 16 km
by train 10 min.
on foot / by bike12 km https://www.hrad-karlstejn.cz/cs Coordinates: 49.9391167, 14.1882903

An important seat of the Czech kings and princes, this is one of the oldest and most significant Gothic castles in the Czech Republic. The castle was established in the 13th century by King Wenceslas I. Gotthic art displays are presented in the Kings´and the Royal Hall. 
Originally it was a hunting castle. Its appearance was shaped by the Přemyslids, Luxembourgs and Jagiellons. The castle became a magnificent royal residence, and later a feared prison under the Fürstenbergs. 
Today the tours include the Gothic Castle Chapel, the Royal and Knight's Halls with a collection of medieval art and the Library with 52,000 volumes, as well as the Fürstenberg museum, the Great Tower with hunting collections and Huderka Tower with a black kitchen and lookout gallery. 

by car 24 km

by train 40 min.

by bike 23 km

  https://www.hrad-krivoklat.cz/cs Coordinates: 50.0378419, 13.8722575

The castle was established by the King Wenceslas IV. as a seat of the Czech King and the Holy Roman Emperor. It is designed as a grand and representative structure with progressive architectural elements.
The castle has never been conquered from the outside, but it was destroyed from the inside by locals who were hiding here during The Thirty Years' War.
Since the 18th century the romantic setting of the castle ruins attract many visitors.

by car 21 km

on foot 21 km

by bike 19 km https://www.hrad-tocnik.cz/cs Coordinates: 49.8906097, 13.8872011

It was was founded in the 2nd half of the 13th century as a guarding castle. The castle thrived during the reign of Wenceslas IV, who adapted it into a grand residence. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by fire in the 16th century and nowadays you can only see the torso of the palace where Wenceslas IV lived, the old palace with a furnace, and dungeons. The top of the main tower offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape.

by car 20 km

on foot 22 km

by bike 19 km https://www.hrad-zebrak.cz/cs Coordinates: 49.8868308, 13.8815631

Since 2004 the castle serves as the information point for the Centre of Celtic Culture, which was established by the Institute for Archaeological Heritage in 2004, as a part of a grant Celtic Europe. The castle nowadays is a permanent reminder of the Celtic history of the Czech lands. Located near the famous Stradonice Celtic Oppidum it offers not only various attractions and an interesting multimedia show about the Celts, but also the atmosphere of the Celtic world. http://www.zameknizbor.cz/ Coordinates: 49.9997839, 13.9997806