Cesky Krumlov Castle: A Bohemian fairy tale

Cesky Krumlov Castle in the Czech Republic is the place where all the fairy tales come true. It is in a small enchanting town in South Bohemia which is a Unesco World Heritage site. I am not lying when I say the Cesky Krumlov castle is just out of a fairy tale.

Its intimidating architecture is a perfect mix of Gothic, baroque and renaissance architectural styles. The impressive archways, the beautiful castle and its tower and the river Vltava meandering around have all carved a special place in my heart.

The castle of Česky Krumlov was not destroyed during the World wars I and II. This is the reason why the medieval town looks the same as it did in the olden days. When you walk on the riverside walkways or eat at the mysterious restaurants here, you will feel as if you were travelling back in time.

Cesky Krumlov castle history

The Vltava river snakes around the beautiful hills at Cesky Krumlov. These hills were occupied by human civilizations as earlier as the Bronze age. The Lords of Cesky Krumlov later built and established the Gothic Castle, its towers and the Church. The Krumlovs were the high royal family at the time. They decided to build this majestic castle on the hills. Later this castle was passed on from the Krumlovs to the Rosenberg family.

While exploring around, you will immediately start wondering about how their daily life would have been in the olden days. And you will surely feel that you are born in the wrong era.

Cesky Krumlov bears and guard changing ceremony

The guards outside the castle of Cesky Krumlov are amusing to watch. They have the duty to guard this castle and they stand here like statues. You must watch the guard changing ceremony which happens at 12 noon. Although the guards keep changing every hour.

I went inside the castle gates, after watching this guard changing ceremony. There is a moat or a pit near the entrance, and a bridge goes over this pit. All the tourists were looking down in this pit from both the sides of the bridge. When I peeped down, I saw two brown bears held in captivity down in these pits. The brown bears were the sigil of the Rosenberg family. And it has always been the tradition to keep the bears here as an exhibit. It’s a bit sad to see that despite being a progressive society they are still holding on to this old tradition. Anyway, it is a tribute to the history of this castle.

Cesky Krumlov castle and its tower

The skyline of Cesky Krumlov is dominated by the Cesky Krumlov Castle. This castle never faced any natural calamities or fires. The entire town of Cesky Krumlov remained untouched in both the World Wars. This is the reason why most of it is preserved today just like it would have been in the olden days. The castle tower and the museum are both popular tourist attractions.

The view from the tower is breathtaking if you are willing to pay 100 CZK ($5 or ₹400) and climb some steep steps to the top. The Vltava River snakes through red tapering roofs of the houses below. And the tourists below are just dots. To go into the castle museum, pay another 100 CZK. Inside you get to see how the life would have been at the castle in the olden days.

Cesky Krumlov theatre

The earliest reference of theatre culture in Cesky Krumlov is recorded in the 15th century. In the olden times, there were several baroque theatres in Europe. But today, only four original baroque theatres are left. Two of them are in Sweden and another two in the Czech Republic. This theatre in Cesky Krumlov is the oldest in Europe. And it is very well preserved even today. Everything that is kept here is old and authentic. But the entry into the theatre is restricted to only 20 persons per group tour. This is why you need to reach here early and buy the tickets fast.

Cesky Krumlov old town and museums

The entire town of Cesky Krumlov is a declared Unesco world heritage site. This means even walking through its streets and tiny alleys feels like a walk through history. Most of the streets inside are closed for motor vehicles. The pathways and alleys are all lined up in pretty arrangements of cobblestones. I came across several narrow alleys where old forgotten houses stand close together on both sides. If you wish to dig deeper into the history of Cesky Krumlov then you can visit one of the following museums.

• The Puppet Museum
• The Fotoatelier Seidel Museum
• The Moldavite Museum
• The Regional Museum

Lunch near the Vltava river

When you go atop the castle and its tower you can see the beautiful grey Vltava river below. There are some pretty pathways along the river where you can walk while exploring the town of Cesky Krumlov. If you have some extra time, take a boat or a kayak and sail down the waters of the Vltava. It is the best way to see this charming bohemian town.

There are several restaurants and cafes nearby the river all around Cesky Krumlov. I had my lunch at one of these called Laibon. This was the only place which provided vegan food in Cesky Krumlov. It is a beautiful restaurant where they had chairs and tables very close to the river.

I was accompanied by several honeybees as soon as the food was served. The views were extremely impressive. But the food here was extremely bland and raw for my Indian taste buds. For a vegetarian, they just served some half-cooked beans, rice, etc. along with some type of raw leaves, tomatoes and cucumbers. I only enjoyed eating the dessert, which was like an apple cake, sprinkled with cinnamon. It is clear that the hotel staff doesn’t have any idea about spices or chillies or international cuisine. But they are very friendly and smiling all the time.

The Vltavin Moldavite or Bohemian Moldavite

If you enjoy collecting souvenirs like me, you will love this one. The Moldavite is a unique green stone found only in this area. Several years ago, a meteorite crashed here around the Vltava river. While dropping down from the sky, this meteorite caught fire in the earth’s atmosphere. It melted and its glass-like drops fell all around this area.

Now, many pieces of this moldavites are scattered around the Vltava river. They are called the Vltavin moldavite or the Bohemian moldavite due to the geographical region in which they are found. It is believed that this stone has miraculous healing powers. Some call it the life-changing stone, while others believe it brings good luck. Even if you don’t believe in these legends, it’s one fact always remains true. The stone is out of this world. Its nothing like anything else found on earth.

So, I bought a small uncut moldavite pendant from a pretty little shop in the town. It is the best souvenir you can get in Cesky Krumlov. There are several shops around the old town which sell all kinds of stones and stuff. They dig them out from the graphite mine nearby. The shop lady didn’t understand English just like most of the locals here. And I forgot to get a certificate of authenticity for my moldavite. But if you decide to buy it too, make sure you demand this certificate.

Grafitovy Dul or the graphite mine

You can go inside the graphite mines from where they bring these stones. There is a fun underground tour into the graphite mines of Cesky Krumlov. They will give you all the protective clothing and shoes that you need. And then you get to go around these ancient mines below the city of Cesky Krumlov.

Important Links

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