They tell me that time travel is impossible and something you can only dream about but during our time in Europe I would have to argue that it is a real thing. Our next stop after Prague was the historical town of Český Krumlov. We drove south past endless flowers fields, ancient tree lined winding roads and clear views as far as the eye could see. We were heading deeper into the beautiful region of Bohemia in Czechia (formerly Czech Republic).
In any research we had done about the Czech Republic we were told that you must go to Prague and if you have time you should not miss a visit to Český Krumlov. We thankfully took that advice because meandering through the streets of Český Krumlov felt like taking a magical journey back in time.
Český Krumlov is a UNESCO world heritage site built in the 11th century. It was one of five UNESCO sites we saw in Czechia and one of 39 we saw on our whole trip. During the 16th century Český Krumlov had it's golden age and found itself the center or art, culture and science in the area.
Český Krumlov has a natural moat of the Vltava River which was very beneficial to this town long ago. These days the river is the perfect place for adventurers and families to enjoy some time on the water. Boat rental is a very popular attraction in Český Krumlov. There are canoes, kayaks and rafts for you to rent and then happily float around the ancient town. There is also a pub crawl rafting tour which leads tourists around bars using a raft as their form of transportation. We did not end up doing any boating in Český Krumlov because we did not have time but ambling along the river made us feel like we could certainly get used to this slow paced, quiet kind of life.
We arrived in the late afternoon after about a three hour drive from Prague. We drove into the town completely unsure what to expect, as the GPS led us in we became sure that there was no way cars were allowed on this tiny street and through this tiny ancient gate, but sure enough there were other cars doing the same thing! This feeling of driving somewhere we felt we did not belong became a theme of our trip. Driving in we could see that this place was unlike any other we had ever seen. It was incredibly well preserved, colorful, charming, MAGICAL! The reason our car seemed out of place was because this city was not built for cars and we were relieved when we could park the car at our airbnb and not worry about it again until we left. Our apartment was in the perfect location and I would recommend it (click here to see where we stayed).
We sadly only had 2 nights to stay in Český Krumlov so that meant really only had one full day to explore the city. We did feel like it was enough time to see the sites and enjoy the town, however once we were there we felt that we might have enjoyed an extra night (all the more reason to plan a return trip). After we settled in to our airbnb we decided to stretch our legs after our long drive and take a look around the village.
We wandered the cobble stone streets of this town frozen in time; speechless. We were both shaking our heads in disbelief that a place this picture perfect could exist. We watched couples walk hand in hand past pastel painted buildings, families stopping for ice cream and musicians played beautifully on time worn bridges. We stopped to watch the river rush by and discussed what it would be like to live somewhere like this. We flirted with the idea of purchasing one of the perfectly painted houses but instead we settled for dinner along the river (a much more economical choice). We found Czech Republic to be extremely inexpensive and felt spoiled by the portion sizes and great quality for such a low cost (always a plus when traveling). After enjoying a lazy dinner, some drinks and lots of people watching we took a nighttime stroll to digest and further convince ourselves we were not in fact dreaming this place up. Then we decided to head back to our room to get a good rest so we could have a full day of sightseeing the next day.
The next morning we were woken up by sunshine peaking through our windows and beautiful church bells announcing the hour. We were excited to get up and have another day of exploring a new place. We headed through the town and over the river towards the Krumlov Castle, one of the main attractions in the village. The walk was not far at all but we found ourselves taking our time and stopping often to admire our surroundings.
Since the moment you drive into Český Krumlov your eye is drawn to the castle. It is the tallest tower in the village and it is so colorful and detailed that we had trouble convincing ourselves it was real. I mean it is essentially pink! If you ever dreamed of feeling like a princess this was the place to do it. We found out that it is painted in the 16th century renaissance style and has been artfully restored over the years. This castle was home to the Rosenborg family. The Rosenborgs ran Bohemia for 3 centuries from this castle. The closer we got the more we were able to marvel at all of the intricate details and the sheer size of the tower
Another theme of our trip was climbing up very steep and challenging cobble stone slopes on basically a daily basis. We headed towards the castle and up up up for what my phone thought was 22 flights of stairs. Thoroughly out of breath we took a break at the top. We could immediately see the appeal of this location because the breeze was heavenly on this hot day and the view was even better.
After snapping some photos and catching our breath we walked on. As we went we noticed something that looked like a moat, however inside there was no water, instead there was something much more fluffy and ferocious (FURocious).
For centuries bears have protected the exterior of Krumlov Castle. This furry guy and a friend (who we didn't get to see) are just for show now but it is amazing to think back to that time. For anyone who is keeping count this entire town is surrounded by a fast moving river, the castle is situated on a steep, essentially 22 flights, hill and if you made it through all of that you are greeted by some very unfriendly bears! This is all not even mentioning the series of gates and doorways which were open to visitors but at one time were sealed up. These people were not kidding around with their protective measures and perhaps that is one of the reasons why they had such a successful reign.
We learned the options for the tours and realized that we might end up waiting a while for the next tour and with a town this pretty we decided to skip the inside of the Castle and spend more time exploring the grounds and the town. I have heard the the tour is worthwhile and that is has a baroque theater inside which is incredible (it is one of only four remaining theaters of its kind!). The thing about traveling is you have to pick and choose what you will have time for, especially when you only have one full day in a location. Next time we go (there has to be a next time) we will be sure to take the full tour. After a little silliness we went around to the formal castle gardens.
Now I don't know for sure that Rob was a king in another lifetime but he does seem to fit right in there and you just have to love a man in tights. hehe.
We walked through the impressive gardens enjoying the picture perfect day. We found look out spots for quiet views of the town below.
We stumbled upon hidden gems and secret lakes with seemingly abandoned boats. We made up stories of royalty wandering and dreaming in these gardens. We watched animals scurry around having no concept of how beautiful it is here and how lucky they are to get to live here.
After we had our fill of the garden we decided to go back down to the town. We spent the rest of the day exploring every nook and cranny of this charming town. With each turn we found ourselves savoring the views and the sunshine. The town was just small enough that we were able to leave no stone unturned yet detailed and adorable enough that we never felt like we had seen it all. We sought out different view points, we window shopped, we explored a strange and free art exhibit, we relaxed on benches and watched the world pass us by.
(Can you spot me above?)
The colors, the history, the architecture and the character of this place made the village a photographer's dream. And for that matter it was also an artist's dream. We saw countless people sitting on the cobble stone, standing at an easel or sketching in a notebook to try to capture the original beauty that this place had to offer.
We would briefly stop and watch some of these talented artists at work. As we would come up to certain areas of the town we could see flocks of people creating paintings and drawings of what was in front of them, this was sure fire way to discover the most amazing and often unique views. When in doubt, follow the artists.
As the sun started to sink lower in the perfect blue sky we realized that our stomachs were starting to rumble and we decided to find a spot by the river to have our last meal in town. We found the perfect spot, we knew it was perfect because it was the place where we had dinner the night before. Yes, we looked around at other options but we realized we just might have found the perfect location right off the bat. The restaurant was in the ideal location, with a covered porch that had the best view. It was along the river, peaceful and quiet but also centrally located which gave the perfect vantage point for people watching. It was called Penzion Parkan if you are ever in the area I would certainly suggest stopping in for an extremely enjoyable experience.
One thing we noticed during our time there was the fact that during the day there are many bus loads of tourists visiting the town. But after a certain point of the day those people had to go back to their buses and they left behind a very quiet Český Krumlov at dusk. After our dinner we decided to take one last stroll through the cobble stone streets. We ambled back down to the river and sat on a bench just drinking in every last bit of this place.
We were so sad that our time here was over but we still had so much more of our trip to enjoy so we knew it was time to move on. We went to bed that night honestly feeling a little happier just knowing that there is a place like this that exists in the world.