A Great Stay In Cesky Krumlov

Heading Out Of Prague

We had a great 8 days visiting Prague. This was our first experience in the Czech Republic. But then we left Prague for our stay in Cesky Krumlov. And got another view of this diverse country.

View The Past At The Pribram Uranium Mine

The first stop on our trip out of Prague was a more sobering view of the country’s past. We pulled up to visit the Pribram Uranium Mine Vojna Memorial. A double row of razor fence enclosed the camp. The camp was initially set up as a forced work camp for German war prisoners. It was then used to hold Communist political prisoners until 1961.

Prisoners worked in the uranium mines all day. And then were subjected to re-education therapy at night. We walked around the camp and saw the restored buildings – dorm buildings, a small hospital and the common room. Under the slag hill we saw the railway cars that went out to the mine.

An interesting museum showed some of the history of this mine and the resistance movements. Several interesting pieces of art brought home the point.

On our visit to Prague, we got a small glimpse into the past of the Czech Republic. This stop at the uranium mines on our way to stay in Cesky Krumlov certainly gave us a much more visible reminder.

Lunch in Charming Pisek

Our lunch stop was in the small town of Pisek. This charming little town lighted our mood after our morning stop. The bus parked on the outskirts and we walked through the small town to the restaurant. It had a colourful town with yet more artistic buildings that we saw again in many of the small towns we visited.

After lunch we walked towards the Otava River for a walk over the stone bridge. This was the oldest bridge in this area and one of two oldest bridges in Central Europe. Like the Charles Bridge in Prague, there were statues on the bridge.

Along the banks we saw two sand sculptures being created. We were amazed at the detail that could be obtained in sand.

Our stop in Pisek gave us a glimpse of the small towns we found when we headed south to stay in Cesky Krumlov.

The Walled Town Of Cesky Krumlov

After a busy travel day, we arrived for our stay in Cesky Krumlov. Our hotel was located at the edge of the old town walls and the bus could not get right to the door. So we followed Vashek like the pied piper along the outside of the walled city. The walled city reminded us so much of the small walled city of Obidos in Portugal. Vashek showed us the lower town gate.

The Hotel Latran booked for the Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) group was a smaller hotel just on the edge of the town. We walked up steep twisty stairs to get to our quaint attic room. There was a strudel shop right under our room. The smell called us down to breakfast every day. I had to be careful not to move too fast. Either I hit my head on the beams or I got vertigo on the stairs.

From the hotel it was an easy walk along cobbled stones into the heart of the walled city. The Vltava River snaked its way through the old town. The castle stood prominently above the town with its painted tower. The St Jost Church tower formed the other anchor of the town view. In the other direction we saw the spire of the Vitrus church.

When we came and went during our stay in Cesky Krumlov, we got the greatest panoramic views of this old town.

The historic buildings in Cesky Krumlov provided the setting for this great little Czech town.

Wandering Through The Medieval Town Of Cesky Krumlov

We got lots of opportunities to wander through the medieval town of Cesky Krumlov. Every street had something interesting to see.

We were excited to see that many of the Cesky Krumlov buildings had the same sgraffito paintings we saw when we explored the buildings and architecture of Prague. We even found fascinating mosaics inside one of the buildings.

The main town square was down at the river level. Streets led up the hills in all directions. One day we even got to explore a market in the main square.

We loved to wander the streets of Cesky Krumlov. If you plan to stay in Cesky Krumlov, there will be much to discover

Castles And Churches In Cesky Krumlov

During our staying in Cesky Krumlov, we spent one morning as we explored the Cesky Krumlov Castle. This was one more in a long list of castles in the Czech Republic that we visited. The castle museum gave us a small glimpse into castle life.

To get to the castle, we crossed over the moat. Down in the moat we actually caught sight of the bear one morning on an early walk.

It was great to get a view of one of the castles in the Czech Republic.

On the other high point in Cesky Krumlov, we visited the St Vitrus Church. We got a tour inside this gothic church and around the outdoor courtyards.

As we wandered in the town, we saw the green spire of the St. Jost church. But we never did get inside that church during our stay. Something left for another trip.

The Cesky Krumlov Castle and the two churches dominate the skyline of the small town. They represent the balance of secular and religious life from this bygone era. We were glad we had the chance to explore both facets during our stay in Cesky Krumlov.

A Countryside Break

One of the days on our stay in Cesky Krumlov, we headed out to enjoy the countryside. We went to the Lipno Lake area and got to walk high above the treetops. The ski area was used in the off-season by hikers, mountain bikers and people who used the ski lift and observation tower to enjoy the views.

We took the chair lift to the top and then walked up to the top of the observation deck. It was a great spot to get a panoramic view around. From that point we could see the hills in the distance what was Germany! And then we had a blast when we took the slide back down.

It was great to get another view of the countryside from the Lipno Treetop Park. Lipno was an easy day trip on our stay in Cesky Krumlov.

Another Look Back In Time

Another day trip we did during stay in Cesky Krumlov was an afternoon visit to the Vyssi Brod Cistercian Abbey. We started the afternoon with lunch in the small town of Rozmberk nad Vltavou. High above the town we saw the summer home of the Rozmberk family.

After lunch we visited the Vyssi Brod Cistercian Abbey. The Rozmberk family also built this large property with many buildings, 12 farms, a water mill and a hospital. You could see yet more building art on the outside of remaining buildings. We first saw this sgraffito in the buildings and architecture of Prague. And then again as we walked through Cesky Krumlov.

We walked around the exterior of the church but the real gems were inside. The church was restored about 5 yrs ago and was beautiful. We were also led through a series of rooms in the library building. Both library rooms were beautiful with exquisite ceiling paintings.

It was great to see yet another view of the history of the area on our stay in Cesky Krumlov.

It Was Great To Stay In Cesky Krumlov

Most people only visit the medieval town of Cesky Krumlov as a day trip. On a quick visit you can certainly take in the charm of this town. The castle is the major draw and certainly worth half a day to explore. But you can only enjoy the real town if you plan to stay in town.

We were we had a chance to stay in Cesky Krumlov. It was a great base to head out to the countryside and enjoy a treetop walk in the Lipno Lake area. It was too bad that low water levels caused our river rafting to be canceled.

We also got the chance to head out of the town to see other historic properties in the area. The breadth of the influence of the Rozmberk family was seen beyond the walls of their base in the medieval town of Cesky Krumlov. The summer home and the Vyssi Brod Cistercian Abbey were both interesting to see.

After a stay in Cesky Krumlov, we headed to another part of the Bohemian part of the Czech Republic in Slavonice. There was still so much more to discover.

Did you stay in Cesky Krumlov? Were you just there for the day or did you get to enjoy so much more?

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