John and I have made a pretty good dent into our list of major European cities that we have wanted to see, so we’ve started exploring the smaller towns. More specifically, the out-of-the-way towns that on any other future vacation would be hard to fit in – and Cesky Krumlov is on that list. It’s not really that close to any major town which would make it difficult to see when on a short vacation to Europe, making it ideal for us to see it now. We had a 3-day weekend, and opted to make our way over to Eastern Europe, which continues to impress me every time we visit that area.
Cesky Krumlov has started gaining attention as a fairy tale town in Bohemian Czech Republic, and in a couple more years, I am sure the popularity will continue to skyrocket. Luckily we visited on an off-season weekend and were able to enjoy the adorable town without major crowds. (Also lucky, even as attention starts to grow, Cesky Krumlov has not adjusted it’s prices to match the dollar conversion. The entire time, John and I kept looking at each other and saying, no way is it that cheap. But in three days – for meals, snacks and souvenirs – the $100 I took out covered all expenses, for the two of us!)
Cesky Krumlov is about five hours from Stuttgart through the gorgeous German and Czech Republic countrysides!
We made it!
Our first views of the town – the gigantic castle that overlooks the town.
There are maybe two hotels in the center of town – the rest of the accommodations offered are pensions, or bed and breakfasts. Ours was super cute – unfortunately though, it was off-season so the outdoor restaurant was closed! 😦
Walking around the town, exploring the nooks and crannies is really the top thing to do in the town. Start with the outskirts and work your way in.
Cesky Krumlov is almost an island, surrounded by the windy Vltava River. In the summer, rafting trips are really popular.
Heading into town.
The adorable windy streets.
The main square in town. Hitler stood on those steps after he annexed the Sudetenland.
More of the colorful main square.
The Horni Bridge – standing on it gives you great views of the castle!
The castle and Cesky Krumlov rooftops!
Johnny and me enjoying the view!
More of the town – across the river is the Eggenberg Brewery, delicious local beer!
Starting to wind our way to the castle!
The climb – an easy stairway to the castle.
More of the stairway.
A look back into the town. Great views all around!
Walking up to the castle – very colorful!
Johnny in the castle courtyard. We opted just to walk the grounds instead of doing a tour.
The view of the town from the castle…it is a real-life fairy tale village.
We stayed up there for awhile – each view was cooler than the previous one.
More of the town.
The castle.
And just in case you didn’t get it the first time – these views are awesome!
Making our way back down – the streets were just too cute! Clean, quiet and well-kept, it would be hard not to like this town.
When in the Czech Republic (or Hungary), you must try a Trdlenik, rolled pastry dough that is grilled and topped with sugar. So yummy!
I can’t take him anywhere…but he keeps me laughing, so he is the ideal travel partner!
So peaceful and pretty!
Mmmm…the local brew, Eggenberg. So good, we brought some back with us!
Another must – Budvar! It shares the name with Budweiser, which has caused legal tangles between the Czech beer and the US beer. Personally, I think the Czech one tastes better! 🙂
Pretty day and night!
Overall, I loved our time in Cesky Krumlov. Our room had zero heat the first night, which meant very little sleep, and lots of walking the next day, and we still had fun! There’s just something nice about not worrying about seeing everything or competing for pictures with thousands of other tourists that trips to these small, lesser-known locations allow. If given the chance, I would definitely recommend a side trip to this quaint village on any itinerary!
Adventures Abroad 