Open the gate to the unexplored waters of the Bohemian Karst
The royal town of Beroun is the gateway to two protected sites connected by the riverbed of Berounka. To the west is the Křivoklát Protected Landscape Area with the royal castle Křivoklát. The Berounka is very popular with paddlers on this side. To the east of the town is the Bohemian Karst Protected Landscape Area with another royal castle, Karlštejn, which not so many paddlers can reach. If you’re tired of the ‘main paddling highway’ on the Vltava, then this boat trip is for you.
The calm flow of the river lets you enjoy the rock massifs of the karst kingdom. The boat trip is not very long, only 9 kilometres. So there will be more than enough space and time to explore all the royal sites.
The way out of town, this time by water
Beroun – the city of bears, markets and ceramics is a must-see. There is plenty of time, so why not visit the Museum of the Bohemian Karst to get acquainted with the landscape that awaits you during the boat trip. Or visit the Ceramics Museum, where you can make your own masterpiece out of clay. And if you’re lucky, you’ll also find market stalls with fruit, vegetables, spices, pastries and cold cuts on the main square. Three times a year they also hold Pottery Fairs, where sellers and buyers from almost all over Europe come together. But we’d enjoy this pastime separately if we were you.
From Beroun you can get to Karlštejn on foot, by bike, by train, by car or motorbike, and even by water. Just pick up a boat at the Beroun camp site and set sail for the places where our history was written. The first test of your fearlessness awaits you at the start of the trip. Crossing the local 3-metre high weir is not a piece of cake. You’ll have to drag the boat across the island or around the power station. Well, you’re just gonna sweat. But then it’ll just be easy-going.
From the kingdom to modern history
Just beyond the royal city Tetín peeks out at you. The mythical place where Krok’s daughter Teta lived and where, a few centuries later, the grandmother of St. Wenceslas, Princess Ludmila, was murdered. At the top you will find a museum, the ruins of a Přemyslid castle and 3 churches. If you come to the shore and decide to conquer this pilgrimage site, prepare for a big hike and overcoming the Tetín waterfall. It’s gonna be a hard job!
Just a few paddle strokes away on the opposite bank, the rock face of Alkazar Quarry peeks out. It got its name from the tramps who were inspired by the Arab impregnable fortresses in Spain. Well, this quarry’s almost impregnable as well. When World War II ended mining here, the quarry found a new mission in the form of a Nazi underground factory for the production of aircraft engines. However, the construction of the factory took longer than Hitler planned to wage war, so the corridor system was eventually used during the ‘Mosquitoes’ to store radioactive waste from the Jáchymov mines. Leave the dosimeter at home. The corridors are covered with concrete dams, and the outer wall of the quarry became the first climbing park in the Czech Republic.
Don’t believe every story, it wouldn’t work without women
About halfway through the boat trip it’s time for a refresher. A short walk downstream from the Alkazar quarry you will find V Kozle refreshments. And a few temps further you should definitely come to the camp Srbsko. Don’t be fooled, you’re still in the Czech Republic, you haven’t arrived in the Balkans. But this camp isn’t exactly mundane. There is also a microbrewery that brews beer under the brand Srbecký lok.
Buy a bottle as a souvenir for your home barbecue and move on. Once you pass the lighting tower of Petzold’s quarry, you are basically at Karlštejn. Depending on the rental company, you will finally arrive at your landing bank at the camp site or after the bridge by the parking lot. Return your boat and put on the proper clothes, you will have an audience with the King himself. Women, ladies and girls… Just don’t stay in the outer bailey. Don’t believe the stories that you can’t go to Karlštejn, and make sure that there has always been a woman at the castle. Don’t forget to explore the outer bailey, which hides other interesting things.
