One of the prettiest towns in Europe

---

Our guidebook calls it "one of the most beautiful little towns in Europe," and we both have to agree; so adorable, sitting in a river valley, with rolling green hills all around, and old castle on a hill, narrow cobblestone streets, and perfect little shops and restaurants. It's exactly what you think of when you hear "European village." Yes, it's pretty touristy, and most of the centre of town focuses on the tourist trade, but somehow this town retains its authenticity. Just walking a few minutes from the center gets you into real life; we enjoyed walking along the riverbank a ways and getting lost in the winding side streets.

Hostel 99, where we stayed, was laid back, nice, and we wished we had more days to hang out. We ate goulash with pork dumplings, one of the traditional Czech dishes, and later we found a small pub for a few local brews. Very cold out so we ended our night with soup and wine by the fireplace at our hostel.

Just a taste of the Czech Republic...this is a country we'd like to visit again.

---