Krivoklát
Chatas and rivers all the way to Krivoklat

The castle of Krivoklat was initially build in the 12th century, by comand of king Přemysl Otakar II, later rebuilt by Václav IV finally and finally improved by Vladislav of Jagellon. Nowadays the museum Fürstenberg may be found there, as well as a remarkable library, an interesting chapel and several rooms open to visitors, includinbg several dungeons and torture chambers.

But the castle it's only one of the of interest of this trip. After switching trains, about mid way from Prague, we will catch the old train, usually composed by two cars only, which runs to Krivoklat. Somehow, the appearance of this train reminds us those crossing the Swiss Alps.

Opposingly to common tourists we will leave the train in Újezd nad Zbecném, crossing the bridge which leads to the village of Zbecno, where many travellers will get in touch for the first time with a country which is far beyond the classic Prague. As we cross Zbecno, we will notice the traces of a lifestyle which is being gradually erased from European countryside. The charming architecture of the rustic villas and the well kept gardens attached to the small houses are just a few remaining traces of such lifestyle.

A while after we leave the village, we start walking in a magic trail. At the begining it runs side by side with the Berounka river, getting narrower as we start a soft climb into the forrest. There, we will have the chance to watch a number of lovely "chatas" (typical Czech cottages), which used to be a luxury reserved to those "serving" the Party during the Communist era. We keep walk up the hill, surrounded by impressive woods which unfolds

We keep walking up, steeper terrain now. Around us, it's dreamland: in Autumn the wood becomes all fancy, painted in warm reddish colors; Sping and Summer will offer us dominance of greens. The trail is clearly marked and kept clean for optimized hiking experience. Along the way we will find informative panels - unfortunately in Czech only - regarding local wildlife.

When we finally reach the top, we will be standing in a plateau, controlling the valley and the river running down there. It's time for a break. A small hunting lodge will offer us shade or shelter from the rain. It's the perfect spot for a light snack, a place where we can share a light meal and the gorgeous views. Eventually we will spot the train, down in the valley, running along the river. We will be using that railway later in the day, returning home.

The magnificent castle of Krivoklat, the climax of our trip

With renovated energy, we will carry on towards the village of Amalín, which we will only marginally visit, just before we reach Krivoklat's castle. The silhouette of the imposing structure will soon unfold behind us. Once there we will visit its interiors or will just wander around in the courtyeard.

Once we are done in the castle we will walk down to the nearby village, where we will delight ourselves with rustic Czech cuisine. A "hermelin" pickled cheese or garlic soup will be highly recomended, as well as a fresh pint. Sharing the food we can talk about the experiences lived in this day, as an informal debriefing of the tour. The train station is around the corner, so we will stay warm until departure time comes.

All images were taken during our group trips to Krivoklat watch full gallery