CESKY KRUMLOV - A BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

Cesky Krumlov - easy on the eye

Several hours south of Prague lies the fairy tale town of Cesky Krumlov.  The core of Cesky Krumlov’s medieval old town is situated on a horseshoe bend in the Vltava river. Dating back to the 13^th century the town played an important role in Bohemia’s network of trade routes.  

The town and castle were owned by the influential Rosenberg family but it changed hands in the 17^th century when Emperor Rudolf II acquired the town. Changing hands several times again, the wealthy Eggenberg and Schwarzenberg families also left their mark.

Atop the Castle Tower

Best viewed from above, an energetic climb up the 162 steps of the Castle tower is a must do. The views spectacular.

During the communist era of Czechoslovakia, Cesky Krumlov fell into disrepair but since the 1989 Velvet Revolution the town has been beautifully restored.  

Artist in action at our lunch venue

Visitors are spoilt for choice by the charming buildings, many housing shops and restaurants.  

We enjoyed  U Dwau Marit, a riverside restaurant specializing in traditional Czech food.  With Alzbeta's guidance we sampled Kuba and roast carp, served with a dark beer produced by the descendants of the Eggenberg family.  Interestingly, carp is the dish of choice in the Czech Republic during Christmas - served with lashings of potato salad - and apparently family recipes for the potato salad are heavily guarded.

The stuff of travel brochures

The town oozes a fairytale-like atmosphere and is included on UNESCO’s list of cultural heritage sites.  The narrow winding streets of the historical centre abound with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings from the influences of the noble families that had once been in charge. 

The Castle is an impressive structure overlooking the town, filled with exquisite furniture, artwork and tapestries. There is even a gold coach on display in one of the reception halls and the Castle boasts the world’s oldest preserved Baroque theatre.

We walked MILES!

Medieval magic concluded for the day, we made a detour to Cesky Budejovice on the drive back to Prague.  The town is well known for its beer which has been brewed there since the 13^th century and for a while served as the imperial brewery for the Holy Roman Emperor.

The largest brewery was founded in Cesky Budejovice in 1895 and markets its beer under the name Budweiser in Europe.  The American lager of the same name brewed by Anheuser Busch was originally created as an imitation of the Bohemian original but over time developed its own following and commercial success.  Attempts by Anheuser Busch to buy out the Czech brewing company in order to secure global rights to the Budweiser name have failed because the Czech government declared the name to be a matter of national pride and not for sale.

We purchased some product to take back to the hotel to study further. Research is everything when you travel after all.  Two days in the Czech Republic and we were feeling unusually patriotic to the Bohemian original.