The One with Karlštejn Castle, Czech Republic

We drove through a dozen little villages, open fields, crossed over bridges, and somehow made our way to Karlštejn Castle. If it weren't for a GPS there's no way we'd ever be able to find these places!

We got through one castle using euros and a credit card, but this castle's parking lot required actual Czech currency: Korunas, so we had to find an ATM, stat. 

Taking refuge from the rain under leafy trees.

At this point is was a torrential downpour and it was a mile hike up to the castle. Rather than get sopping wet we decided to make some memories and take a horse-drawn wagon uphill to Karlštejn Castle!

Fox and Jane loved the experience. Chris and Paige thought it was pretty cool too :) | We spy the castle!

How to keep kids happy: dum dums.

Being carted up through town by horsies.

This was the view of the castle I got from the ride. Nice day huh? Haha, oh well. Like I said, it adds a certain ambiance that I love.

The horses dropped us off with still a bit of a walk ahead of us. So glad we brought umbrellas!

Karlštejn Castle is a large Gothic castle founded in 1348 AD by Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor-elect and King of Bohemia. The castle served as a place for safekeeping the Imperial Regalia as well as the Bohemian/Czech crown jewels, holy relics, and other royal treasures. Located about 30km southwest of Prague above the village of the same name, it is one of the most famous and most frequently visited castles in the Czech Republic.

At the outbreak of the Hussite wars the castle became the place for safekeeping of the Czech coronation jewels, with the exception of several short breaks, for nearly 200 years.

The castle was reconstructed in late Gothic style after 1480 and in Renaissance style in the last quarter of the 16th century. The present appearance of the castle comes from the last reconstruction, which was carried out in the puristic neo-Gothic style by architect Josef Mocker at the end of the 19th century.

We weren't able to go on a tour because you need to purchase tickets in advance, and we were in a hurry to get to Prague, but we still walked around the castle and took time to stop and smell the roses.

Me + Castles = Love.

Up on top, looking down to the town of Karlštejn below.

The well. You could look down it and oh my goodness it was deeeeeeeeep! | Castle door.

Fall is in full swing!

I'm so glad places so old still exist so we can admire their beauty.

Our umbrellas weren't covering all four of us very well so we started to head back down in the monsoon.

Every store you see here was a little souvenir shop. Fox was too upset from being wet to even want to stop at them.

I want a vine-covered house some day. | Looking back up at the majestic castle.

Here's the pic I posted on instagram of this castle:

Totally cool castle. I can see why it attracts so many tourists.

Next stop: Prague!