Cesky Krumlov

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Cesky Krumlov Day 5-6 (May 23-24)

We were fortunate to have a mini-bus to take us to Cesky Krumlov which is over the border into the Czech Republic. The drive was through very scenic and green countryside, always with a red-roofed village appearing with lovely church towers in the distance.

Cesky Krumlov is a Bavarian town, that has belonged to various countries. However, it’s Czech heritage is clearly established now. There is an impressive Castle from the 13th century which stands above the town. It has been cleaned up, and the paint that had been part of a renovation by certain Kings, has been removed revealing amazing frescos over most of the towers. The custodians have chosen not to try and repaint these, rather cleaning up only and leaving them slightly faded but all the better for that approach.

On arrival we went on a bike tour of the countryside. We were driven out of town to a hilly area, almost to the top and proceeded to make our way back (20%!u(MISSING)phill, 80%!d(MISSING)own - I think it was good that all the uphill sections were at the start). Some of the downhill was quite rough in parts, however as soon as we hit some bitumen the riding was very pleasant.

That evening we had a tour with a local guide (again excellent) who gave us great insights into the long and short history of the town, and what it is like to live there now. She was able to give accounts of various historical events because her mother and aunts were actually there, witnessing life under Soviet rule.

The town now is a great place for day trips but we had the added benefit of staying in the town, and could enjoy it’s riverside cafes for dinner as well.

The following day I went on a guided tour of the castle (no photos allowed). There were restored rooms recreating various eras of the Kings that lived in the castle which were well done, and the anecdotes including the castle ghost, and the mad king were entertaining. The castle garden was also lovely and a good place to sit and read for a bit, before going down to the local museum.

There were interesting works from some Czech artists as well as a section dedicated to Ergon Shiele recounting his life story.

From here it was time to meet some others for a trip on the river Vltava on a raft. A very pleasant couple of hours were spent paddling downstream, navigating one very small and mild rapid and then really drifting the rest of the way. The river coursed through forested areas, and then some farming areas toward the end.

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Photos

Frescos on building
Spot the nun and monkey

Comments

[Hedins]

Simply Beautiful!
Wow what an amazing place!

[tezzakezza]

Divine...I regret we didn't make it here in our travels, we'd heard how stunning it is.....after we'd visited the Czech Republic, by then it was too late!! x K