If you visit the Czech Republic, Prague, the capitol, is naturally your first destination. Prague has so much to offer and you can easily spend days and days full of exploration and agood time. But if you are dedicated traveller and you want to see some more, what is then your naturally second destination? I believe that for most travellers it is Český Krumlov. Therefore, tour to Český Krumlov.
For me, as your driver and guide in one person, it usually takes me less than two hours to get there from Prague. They recently finished another section of highway so it is now little faster than three years ago. And they are still working on new sections of it. So one day the tour to Český Krumlov from Prague will be even faster.
Something about the tour
When you find my tour to Český Krumlov on Viator or Tripadvisor or somewhere else, you book your date. Shortly before our tour (typically two days before) I will send you message to your email (the one you used for booking) with a time of your pick up. I will always pick you up in your accomodation in Prague (city center area). And then, when the day of your tour finally comes, I will be waiting for you in front of your hotel or accomodation. There are usually more people (maximum is 8) so we are going to pick them up all first.
I like to talk. I am not trying to talk at all costs and I am not big fan of small talk but I like conversation. And I love questions. So if you dont want to sleep on our way to Český Krumlov, you can ask me just about everything. We will have plenty of time in Český Krumlov to talk about Český Krumlov so we can spend those two hours in a car talking about Czech history, about Prague, and generally about everything you are interested in.
Restroom break guaranteed
Shortly (15 minutes) before we get to Český Krumlov, I stop at gas station in a city České Budějovice. Formerly, when Bohemia was part of the Austrian Empire, a name of this city was Budweis. And they called local beer a Budweiser. Yes, the original one. The American Bud copied the name of our beer in 1860s and since then they are fighting legal battles.
In Český Krumlov, we park our van just five minutes from the city center. I remember times when you could drive into the city center and even park there. But it is not true anymore. Number of tourists is increasing every year so now only residents and cars with permission can drive there.
Walking through the old town in Český Krumlov
And here we go. We are walking to the Old Town which they actually call the Inner Town here. And in fact, it is technically island as waters of the Vltava river (yes, the same one we have in Prague) flow all around it.
One of the first thing we will do is checking the map of the city center where I will describe everything we will see and do on this tour to Český Krumlov. This is that map. We are starting in a south-eastern corner of it.
A history of the town
Český Krumlov was first mentioned in 1240. Founders of the place built its first building shortly before. A castle tower with a castle hall standing on the rock above Vltava river. First settlers, most of them were Germans, were invited later on, and they started to settle both banks of the river. This is how the castle probably looked like in the 14th century.
Dont get confused by the symbol of green rose on this picture. Family whose symbol this green rose was really found the castle in 1230s but it was just the tower and the hall on the right. Castle was really enlarged and the town started to grow only when their relatives, Rožmberks, inherited the place after the green rose family was either killed of forced to exile by king Vaclav II. And symbol of the Rožmberk family was a red rose. I will be talking about it on our tour.
Český Krumlov is very picturesque place and I will take you everywhere where you can get great shots. First of them is the Jesuit garden that sits between two former Jesuit seminars. You get the best view of the castle from there.
Our next steps take us to St.Vitus church. I always take an opportunity to sit down in this church and give you some more details about a history of Český Krumlov. But also about general history of the Czech Republic. And because we are in the church, I will tell you little bit about our religious history. And I will try to give you my explanation why Czechs are probably the least religious nation in the world.
Different seasons in Český Krumlov
Depending on what time of a year you do the tour to Český Krumlov, you will either see plenty of canoes, cayaks and rafts on the river, or not. Water season typically starts in April and may end in October. But if you visit in summer, be prepared to see literally hundreds of little boats going through the town. Czechs and even some tourists love canoeing on Vltava river. And because it is typically more about drinking than sport, it is always fun. It is normal to see Czechs dressed in their swimwear walking around with glass of beer or sunbathing (with beer) under the castle. Czechs are very relaxed, laid back, live and let live types of people. Yes, that is what we are.
So we will be walking first through the Inner Town. I will take you through every street and I will make sure you will see everything in this town that has preserved mostly 16th century look.
Eating out in Český Krumlov
When we are done with the Inner Town, it is lunch time. We have plenty of restaurants to use but I choose from three that I like most and that are really suitable to your needs as a traveller. Depending on weather or season I will either take you to a garden restaurant right under the castle, or inside the medieval house with medieval kitchen. Vegetarian or even vegan options are available. Lunch is however on your own expense.
I recommend you to not go too crazy with eating because after the lunch we are going to the castle. And they built it on a hill. Not really high but still some walking up. Btw, this tour is all together not very long. All together some 3 miles or 5 kilometres. We have to cross the Barbers bridge to get there.
Český Krumlov castle
Before we enter the first courtyard of the castle, we will walk through Latran. Now a street, in the past independent “town” that was not part of Český Krumlov and where mostly respected courtiers lived. Since 1555 merged with the main Český Krumlov into the one town.
And right in front of the gate to the castle we must go into a gingerbread shop “Český perník”. It is really a must. You may try or buy different pieces of gingerbread they bake here either as cookies or as decorated gingerbread. And they sell some Czech brand and mead too.
The castle in Český Krumlov is the second biggest castle in our country. After the Prague castle. When we talk about castle, it is not just one building. Well, some castles in Europe are made of one single buildings. Typically smaller castles combining living quarters and fortifications. But Český Krumlov was very important place and its castle used to be a center of power of families that owned them. Broad aristocratic family, soldiers, servants, workers – it could be hundreds of people. So with the palace building where mainly the family (Rožmberks, Eggenbergs, Schwarzenbergs) lived, it is together forty different buildings including stables, mint, blacksmith, brewery, theather or hospital and more. This is how it looks like from the top.
Bears!
Castle is made of five courtyards. First two are called the Lower castle. Remaining three the upper castle. Lower castle was the economic and administrative part of the castle. The upper castle was where the family and their closest servants lived. Between the first and the second courtyard is the popular attraction of the castle – bears. A tradition that is part of the castle for the last five hundred years.
The castle offers four different tours of the interiors and participating in them is not part of my tour. I believe that to really see all details of the town and the castle you need more than one day. But one day is nevertheless enough to see all beauties of this town.
The castle garden
From the fifth courtyard, which has the best view of Český Krumlov, we will walk up the hill to the garden. Modern look of the garden is from the second half of the 18th century. Garden is generally divided into the French and English parts with the Neptuns fountain in the middle. Probably the most interesting part of it is so called Revolving auditorium. A popular summer open air theather where visitors watch the scene after dark from rotating auditorium.
And the garden is the last stop of this tour. Through the summer horse riding school and around the winter horse riding school we will leave the garden and we will end up under the castle bridge where our tour ends. At this point we have already seen everything and if you had wanted, we also visited all souvenir shops that you wanted to see. Two more hours on the way back to Prague and you will be back in your hotel.
So if Český Krumlov attracted your attention and you would like to join my tour, please check the availability of it on TripAdvisor. Thank you. Filip.