As I sat on the Busabout bus from Prague to Cesky Krumlov, I had one of those travel moments that just makes you laugh.
Hardly any of us headed to this small Czech town knew anything about it. We didn't know anything about its history, what there was to do there, or even how to properly pronounce it (in fact, there was one Aussie who, in a rather hungover state, simply announced that he was on the “not Vienna” bus that morning). We had all just seen pretty pictures of the place and decided to add it to our North Loop itineraries.
Funny how just seeing the right photo can influence your travel plans.
I'm so glad I saw those beautiful images of Cesky Krumlov months before my trip to Europe, though — because this little Czech town absolutely charmed my socks off.
For those of you who have never heard of Cesky Krumlov, let me give you a quick lesson. It's a town in the South Bohemian region of the Czech Republic, roughly 3-4 hours south of Prague by bus. The town is an old medieval one, with a big, colorful castle on top of a hill, narrow cobbled streets, and a river (the Vltava, which also runs through Prague) coursing through it. The Old Town in Cesky Krumlov is even a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Basically, Cesky Krumlov is a postcard come to life.
At least, that's how I felt while wandering through its streets, or while sitting on a terrace overlooking the river and having traditional Czech food for dinner.
It really doesn't get much better than this.
As it turns out, there's not actually a whole lot to “do” in Cesky Krumlov. But that made our scheduled 2 nights in the town the perfect amount of time.
My time in Cesky was spent exploring the castle and gardens (which are free to visit), wandering through the cute cobbled streets, and eating on as many terraces as possible. I also spent an afternoon floating down the Vltava River with my fellow Busabouters, but that is a topic for another post.
There are so many little details to love in this town, from the vibrant colors to the talented buskers to the affordable prices. It would make a perfect weekend getaway from cities like Prague and Vienna, or even just a nice spot to relax for a week and take a break from the more hectic cities of Europe.
In fact, I think Cesky Krumlov may just be one of my favorite spots in Europe so far.
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Have you been to Cesky Krumlov? If not, is it a place you'd like to visit?
*Note: I visited Cesky Krumlov as part of my Busabout trip around Europe. They provided me with transport on all 3 of their Europe loops, but all opinions of the destinations I visit are entirely my own!
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
Charming little town! I love those onion-shaped clock towers, it’s so central Europe1
Yes, VERY Central Europe! I love them, too.
Of course, anybody would like to visit Cesky Krumlov after seeing your pictures! It almost looks like a dream!
Definitely very fairytale-like.
funny I’ve never been there. I meant to, so many times, I was in Ceske Budejovice which is really near at least 3 times yet never made it to Cesky Krumlov. But I will, eventually, as it seems like such a beautiful and charming place!
what typical Czech dishes have you tried? Their cuisine is even heavier than Polish 😉
You should definitely go sometime!!
As for Czech food, I don’t remember any of the names. I got this platter one night, though, that had a bunch of stuff piled high on it that was delicious. By the time the food came, though, we were basically eating my candlelight… so I’m still not entirely sure what all I ate!
This was one of my favorite places too, and it’s nice to know it’s still somewhat secret, sort of. Apparently some people still think Prague is the only city in Eastern Europe.
Haha. Yeah. But none of these places will remain secret for long… They are too amazing!
stunning – its absolutely picture perfect! you got some great shots here
Thanks, Rebecca!
Have I mentioned before how much I love this town. I’ve been there about 6 times in the last three years…and living in Linz (just across the border in Austria) it was a perfect weekend getaway for me for some time! I’m ridiculously excited about returning there when I’m back in Europe next year. And it’s gorgeous in the winter too with everything covered in snow (though the castle gardens aren’t open).
I can picture it with snow and that WOULD be gorgeous. Glad to find someone else who loves it a lot, too!
I’ve seen pictures before too and simply wanted to go because it looks beautiful! Good to know you found it so charming. Floating down the river sounds fun, so maybe more of a summer visit is in order.
There are more tourists in the summer, of course, but yes, the weather is best then if you want to have a day on the river. I’ll be writing about the rafting soon, but basically we turned it into a rafting pub crawl, stopping at all these little bars and pubs along the river! It was so fun.
I can see why it charmed your socks off … it’s adorable!
SO adorable!
Looks like something out of a children’s picture book, idyllic!
Definitely! It’s one of those places that doesn’t really even look real until you see it for yourself.
It’s so picturesque. Such a gorgeous little city! =)
Indeed! I loved it so much.
So how do you pronounce it then??
I’d never heard of it until recently and now it seems like everyone is going there! I’ve never been to the Czech Republic so maybe when I get there I’ll have to stop here!
The Krumlov part is pronounced how it looks. “Cesky” is pronounced more like “Cheskee.”
Beautiful photographs! I am adding this to my bucket list, what a great city!
Thanks, Michelle! It’s a good one for the bucket list.
Ahh! A fairytale land! I’ve never heard of this place and it’s definitely going on my list. Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous.
Happy travels 🙂
Fairytale land indeed! That’s exactly how I describe it to people!
I have never been but was debating about adding it to my trip next year. Although I’ll be going in February which is probably not the ideal time, I think this would still be a nice day trip. These pictures are gorgeous.
It would still make a great day trip, I think. Plus, in the winter there might be some snow, which would only add to the atmosphere, I would think.
I have never been, but it is definitely a place I would like to visit. I just love all the colors in your photographs!
It’s such a pretty and photogenic place. I definitely recommend a visit!