If you’ve landed here from the home page, you might have noticed the caption below the castle photo:
“Have you seen Rockstar? Or are you a Ranbir Kapoor fan?”
Never mind if you’ve never heard of either. Karlštejn Castle is a beautiful hidden gem just outside Prague, and it’s absolutely worth a visit.
But if you’re wondering what this castle has to do with Rockstar, here’s the backstory.
I first stumbled across Karlštejn Castle while watching Rockstar in a cinema hall. Would you believe me if I told you that this movie was also my introduction to Prague? Funny, isn’t it?
I loved the movie (especially the songs, Tum Ho is still my favourite), and I immediately added Prague to my travel bucket list.
At the time, I never imagined I’d actually make it there. I didn’t even have a passport. I wasn’t sure if I even liked travelling. I had no idea who I was, what I enjoyed, or whether I’d ever earn enough money to visit places this far away.
Thinking about that time, it feels like a little miracle.
Anyway…
When I moved to the UK three years ago, I knew Prague would be one of the first places I’d visit. My first trip to Prague was in December 2023, during Christmas celebrations. It was freezing, unbelievably crowded, and we only had two days. By the time the trip ended, I felt strangely unsatisfied because there was still so much I hadn’t managed to see.
So, about a year and a half later, I convinced my husband that it was time to go back. And this time, Karlštejn Castle was non-negotiable.
He knew I wasn’t fully satisfied with my first Prague trip, and summer seemed like the perfect excuse. So we booked our flights, found an Airbnb with air conditioning (it was July), and planned a four-day Prague getaway.
The goal of this trip
Well… technically it was a pre-birthday trip. (Also, travelling in July gets expensive thanks to school holidays.)
But my real goal was much simpler. I wanted to revisit everything I’d missed the first time.
And more importantly…
I wanted to find the exact viewpoint where Jordan and Heer filmed that iconic scene in Rockstar – the one where they kiss before breaking up. That spot had lived rent-free in my head for years.
I’m not going to walk you through our entire Prague itinerary, but if you’re planning a trip, here are a few quick tips:
- Stay slightly outside the city centre. Hotels are much cheaper, and Prague’s tram network is fantastic – you barely notice the difference.
- Visit Charles Bridge early in the morning if you want fewer crowds and much better photos.
- For one of the best views of Charles Bridge, climb either the Old Town Bridge Tower or the Lesser Town Bridge Tower.
- If you’re craving Indian food, Indian Jewel is a great option right in the city centre.
- For Italian food with an amazing view, Marina Ristorante is worth visiting.
On the third day, after our usual breakfast ritual, we headed to Prague’s main station and caught a direct train to Karlštejn. The journey took around 55 minutes.
From Karlštejn station, it was another 1.9 km walk to the castle, with a few steep uphill stretches. We reached the castle entrance in about half an hour.
But here’s the problem.
I knew the famous viewpoint existed, I had seen it in the movie, I had seen photos online. What I had absolutely no idea about was where it actually was.
After wandering around the castle for a while, we decided to just… walk.
Maybe we’d accidentally find it, but we didn’t. The sun was directly above us, I was getting impatient, and I was ready to give up.
I sat down on a tiny bench in the shade and Googled what can only be described as an entire paragraph.
Somehow, that led me to a one-year-old Reddit thread with almost no engagement. One person had commented that they’d reached a beautiful viewpoint while cycling through the area and had even shared the exact coordinates.
That was enough. We decided to trust a random Reddit stranger.
The coordinates took us away from the castle, through a quiet residential area, and eventually onto a narrow path that honestly looked like we were about to get lost.
At that point, we wondered if we’d taken a wrong turn. But we kept walking.
Then suddenly…
The trees opened up. There was a huge green field. And there it was – Karlštejn Castle.
I’m not even exaggerating, I almost screamed. Okay… maybe not screamed.
But my eyes definitely lit up because I instantly knew we’d found the place.
And the best part?
There wasn’t a single person there.
It was just me, my husband, and this incredible view of the castle.
For a few minutes, it felt like I was reliving the movie.
We spent quite a while sitting there, soaking in the view, taking photos and recording videos.
The only thing we couldn’t figure out was how to get a nice picture of both of us with the castle in the background.
Selfies just weren’t doing it.
Then another couple arrived. They asked if I could take a photo for them. Of course I said yes. As I was clicking their pictures, one of them leaned in and kissed the other.
The photo looked absolutely magical.
And in my head I was thinking…“I want one like that.”
Before leaving, they asked if we’d like some photos too.
“Yes… please!”
I quietly asked my husband if we could also kiss for one of the shots. We did.
And completely unexpectedly, it became one of my favourite photos of us.
It looks perfectly planned. I promise you – it wasn’t. It was 100% candid.
Here’s that photo:
So… was Karlštejn Castle worth the day trip?
In one word? Absolutely.
I didn’t even go inside the castle because we were short on time. Honestly, for me, the real beauty of Karlštejn wasn’t inside the walls. It was standing in that quiet open field, looking back at the castle from a distance.
If you’re planning to visit, the viewpoint itself is another uphill walk and takes around 15–20 minutes from the castle entrance.
I’d recommend it without hesitation. It was peaceful, uncrowded, and somehow still feels like one of Prague’s best-kept secrets.
If you’re trying to find the exact viewpoint, here are the coordinates that saved our day:
Whoever that random Reddit stranger was…Thank you.
Without you, I probably would’ve gone home thinking I had missed the best part.