Happy Independence Day and Happy Anniversary to me! Today is Bill and Autumn Peeper’s 24th wedding anniversary and though I am over 5000 miles from home, I was able to count on a good friend to deliver flowers to my wife! Today is also the day we arrive in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic. Before I booked this tour, I had not heard of this town, but after doing some research it became a place that I was really looking forward to visiting. It is situated just a couple of hours from Prague and as we made our way there the landscape began to change noticeably. The fields and wide-open spaces became more wooded and uneven. It was also a little rainy today and was a nice reprieve from the hot, muggy conditions we have experienced so far. Krumlov, as the locals call it, is much smaller than the cities we’ve been in previously and is dominated by the winding Vltava River and the castle that sits high up on the bluffs overlooking the river. The town is quaint and full of character, just like the lodging I stayed in. My room was above a restaurant/bar and the windows opened out onto one of the main streets. The proximity to the action was great, but it wasn’t very quiet.
Our group got settled in and we immediately did a quick orientation tour with our tour leader, Izzy, before joining a guided tour about the town, the importance of the river, and the history of the castle. I have done many of these “free walking tours” during the trip and love the format. The local guide doesn’t take anything upfront, but each person is asked to contribute whatever they think the tour was worth at the end. The incentive, then, is for the guide to do a good job and leave you satisfied with their efforts. They are available in nearly every city and are a great way to get a deeper exposure to the history and culture of a place, all in English. Anyway, one of the first locations we went to was an overlook on the banks of the Vltava that had a great view of the castle on the other bank. What a sight! Though this region of Central Europe is loaded with castles, it never gets old seeing them up close.
Near the overlook was the historic Church of St. Michael’s, another source of pride for the community. Though smaller than most of the cathedrals I have visited thus far, it was no less impressive! The grandeur of these churches is breathtaking and never ceases to impress. We continued the tour through the narrow streets of Krumlov and kept catching glimpses of the castle and fortifications, getting more and more anxious to cross the river and head that way. The way the river winds around the town it forms an oxbow, a small peninsula that houses most of the historic part of the old town, but to get to the castle you cross another bridge. The Vltava River is a dominant part of the communities landscape and provides a key form of recreation as well. From the many restaurants with outdoor seating along the riverbank to the popular canoeing and rafting excursions on the river, it is important in so many ways. As we crossed the bridge, there were rafts full of tourists floating underneath and all seemed to be enjoying themselves.
The castle itself was built in several phases over the centuries and is surrounded by a green “moat” that houses several brown bears. This practice of protecting the castle with bears began in 1707 and there are still several roaming the grounds today. Another key feature of the castle and historic architecture is the wide arrow of fresco paintings. These are paintings done on fresh (wet) plaster and were the most popular centuries ago. The art is magnificent and really gives a unique character to the site. The first courtyard is the medieval portion of the castle and the oldest part, founded in 1250. Subsequent sections were completed during the Renaissance and were finally completed as it currently stands in the 18th century. We couldn’t go inside the castle (we found out most museums in Europe are closed on Mondays) but we were able to explore the exterior and gardens still. The view of the town of Krumlov from the castle ramparts was stunning and provided a person with a real sense of majesty from inside the castle walls. The tour ended here and provided participants time, then, to explore the gardens at their leisure.
The rest of the afternoon I spent walking the narrow cobblestone streets shopping and exploring. I found myself wanting to linger near the river and listen to the sound of rushing water and enjoying the peace and serenity of it all. What a great place to soak up the feeling of contentment! Our group got together for dinner that evening at a local establishment where we once again enjoyed the local fare that included beef, pork, chicken, baked potatoes, potato pancakes, and apple strudel. What a great way to end the evening in this historic little town!
Bill and Jeff's Historical Travel Blog 