Nathan's Insights

Monday 15 April 2024
Highlights: Exploring Český Krumlov and Český Krumlov Castle

After an enjoyable time in Prague we were scheduled to leave our hotel at 9 am for Český Krumlov for a 2.5 hour private van transport however bad weather delayed our driver. This was a sign that bad weather was moving in as the temperature for the next week seems to mostly be in the mid-teens.

It was a pleasant drive to Český Krumlov as we viewed the countryside from our vehicle. I did notice a lot of military vehicles on this drive. We had one 15 minute stop, mandatory for the drive and good for toilet break and coffee for some (not me).

Entering Český Krumlov I was reminded how beautiful this small town established in the Middle Ages is. The town did not suffer from World War 2 but did decline with no tourism under the Soviet Union’s rule and no money to maintain the many buildings with only a small population.

We dropped our bags at our boutique hotel and did a small walk into the town centre. From here our group broke up to explore the town and get a bite to eat before our 2 pm walking tour with a local resident.

Just as the walking tour started so did the rain, but luckily it was fairly light. This walk showed us many beautiful sites including the St Vitus Church.

However, the highlight was Český Krumlov Castle which dates from 1253 but really started to grow when the Rosenberg family took over in 1302. The castle passed to different families but in 1947 under Soviet Union rule the Castle was transferred to State control which is how it operates to this day.

The wedding cake tower is stand up of the castle complex. During the walk we learned about the multiple Castle defences and that they were never breached. We also learned of the 3 bears caught at the castle. This is a reflection of how bears were one of the protections of the Castle in the past. Their current area looks small and I would prefer the bears were not used for tourism like this. At least they are rescued bears and this apparently is better conditions then they had previously.

Another highlight was the Castle Gardens. These Gardens are massive in size and were established in the 17th century.

After the tour we returned to our accommodation before heading out again for dinner in a unique local restaurant which felt like eating in a cave complex. Overall it is easy to understand why Český Krumlov is UNESCO listed.