Český Krumlov

A fairy-tale UNESCO World Heritage town cradled by an S-shaped bend of the Vltava River, with a painted castle tower, a red-roofed old town, summer rafting, and nearby Hluboká's white castle and Holašovice village.

Český Krumlov (often shortened to CK) is in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, about 170 km from Prague and about 25 km from the Austrian border. Here the Vltava River winds into an almost closed S-shaped loop; inside the bend lies the red-roofed medieval old town, while across the river on a rocky crag stands the second-largest castle complex in the Czech Republic, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. There are three areas to explore. ① The old town and castle: the castle's painted tower, the Bear Moat, the Baroque theatre, the Cloak Bridge and the castle gardens; in the old town, Svornosti Square, St. Vitus Church, the Egon Schiele Art Centre, the Seminary Garden and the Křížový vrch viewpoint, and in summer you can raft the Vltava through town. ② The surroundings: Zlatá Koruna Monastery, the Kleť lookout tower and the graphite mine, plus Rožmberk Castle, Vyšší Brod Monastery and Lake Lipno upstream. ③ Day trips: the regional capital České Budějovice and the Budweiser Budvar brewery, the white fairy-tale Hluboká Castle, the World Heritage village of Holašovice, and the fishpond town of Třeboň. Climate: May–Sep is the best time to visit; the Five-Petalled Rose Festival (a parade in medieval costume) takes place in mid-June, and rafting is liveliest in Jul–Aug. The castle interiors and most surrounding castles are closed Nov–Mar, when the town is quiet and a Christmas market runs in December. Getting there: the RegioJet or FlixBus coach from Prague takes about 3 hours, while the train requires a change at České Budějovice; there are tourist shuttles from Linz, Salzburg and Vienna in Austria. The old town has cobbled, sloping streets and is entirely walkable; for the surrounding sights, we recommend a rental car or a chartered car. We suggest staying 1–2 nights in town: tour groups crowd the daytime, and early morning and evening are the most beautiful.

Top sights

• Český Krumlov – A World Heritage town wrapped in an S-shaped bend of the Vltava, with the second-largest castle complex in the Czech Republic, painted towe…
• Český Krumlov Castle – The second-largest castle complex in the Czech Republic; its painted round tower overlooks the S-shaped river bend and the red-roofed old t…
• Cloak Bridge – A three-tiered arched gallery bridge spanning a deep valley and linking the castle with its gardens; the corridor overlooks the old town, a…
• Hluboká Castle – The most ornate castle in South Bohemia, a white neo-Gothic palace rebuilt in the 19th century in the style of Windsor Castle, and often ca…
• Český Krumlov Castle Baroque Theatre – One of the two best-preserved Baroque theatres in the world, with its original stage machinery, sets and costumes still intact. Visits are…
• Castle Garden & Revolving Theatre – A Baroque garden of about 11 hectares behind the castle, with fountains, a summer palace and an open-air Revolving Theatre whose auditorium…
• Svornosti Square – The main square in the heart of the old town, surrounded by colorful gabled Renaissance and Baroque houses, the town hall and a plague colu…
• Church of St. Vitus – A Gothic church on the highest point of the old town, its slender octagonal spire echoing the castle tower. It is another landmark of the Č…
• Egon Schiele Art Centrum – An art gallery in a converted 16th-century brewery, commemorating the connection between the Austrian Expressionist painter Egon Schiele an…
• Vltava River Rafting – Paddle a raft or canoe down the Vltava River through the old town, shoot a few small weirs and look up at the castle from the water. It is…
• Regional Museum & Seminary Garden – A free small garden beside the former Jesuit seminary, one of the best viewpoints for photographing the castle, the river bend and the red-…
• Latrán – An old quarter at the foot of the castle, on the north bank of the Vltava. Medieval houses, small shops and beer halls line its main street…
• Eggenberg Brewery – A centuries-old family brewery at the foot of the castle, offering guided tours of the brewing process and tastings, along with a pub servi…
• Museum Fotoatelier Seidel – The original studio of the Seidel father-and-son photography business from the early 20th century, with tens of thousands of glass plate ne…
• Cross Hill – A small hill southeast of the old town. A walk of about 20 minutes up the Stations of the Cross path leads to a summit chapel with panorami…
• Graphite Mine Český Krumlov – One of the few graphite mines in Central Europe that can be visited. Wear a miner's helmet, ride a small train deep into the tunnels, and l…
• Holašovice – A village in South Bohemia on the UNESCO World Heritage List, with more than twenty 19th-century farmhouses featuring 'peasant Baroque' gab…
• Přemysl Otakar II Square, České Budějovice – The central square of South Bohemia's capital, one of the largest square squares in the Czech Republic, surrounded by arcaded houses. The B…
• Budweiser Budvar Brewery – One of the birthplaces of the Budweiser name. The state-owned Budvar Brewery offers tours, and in its underground cellars you can taste unf…
• Zlatá Koruna Monastery – One of the best-preserved Gothic Cistercian monasteries on the bank of the Vltava. Founded in 1263 by King Ottokar II, it is a popular stop…
• Kleť – One of the highest peaks in southern Bohemia (1,084 m), with the oldest stone observation tower in the Czech Republic and an observatory on…
• Rožmberk Castle – A Gothic castle on a cliff above the upper Vltava, the birthplace of the Rosenberg family, with a legendary White Lady and a quiet village…
• Lipno Treetop Walk – A timber treetop walkway on the hillside above Lipno Lake. A gentle ramp winds up to a 40-metre observation tower overlooking the Czech Rep…
• Vyšší Brod Monastery – A Cistercian monastery founded in 1259 that is still home to monks, with a Baroque library holding about 70,000 volumes and the Czech Posta…
• Třeboň – A Renaissance town surrounded by hundreds of man-made fishponds, with a Rosenberg family castle, colourful squares and waterside paths. Kno…
• Kratochvíle Chateau – A moated Italian-style Renaissance hunting lodge, the Rosenbergs' 'place of leisure', with exquisite stucco work inside and a museum of Cze…

Where to eat

• Krčma v Šatlavské ulici – A medieval cave-style tavern in the Old Town, featuring open-fire grilling right before your eyes, consistently ranking…
• Krčma v Šatlavské ulici / Tavern of the Two Marys – An Old Bohemian restaurant housed in a 500-year-old historic building, specializing in ancient grains like millet and b…
• Švejk Restaurant – A Czech tavern themed around the Good Soldier Švejk, highly praised for its roasted duck and housed in a historic build…
• Laibon – A fully vegetarian restaurant on the banks of the Vltava River, featuring a riverside terrace with views of the castle…
• Papa's Living Restaurant – A river-view restaurant on Latrán Street serving both pasta/pizza and Czech dishes, with a sunny terrace that makes for…
• Pizzeria Nonna Gina – A cozy pizzeria run by an Italian owner for over twenty years, offering authentic Southern Italian flavors, budget-frie…

Itineraries

• South Bohemia Towns & Castles Road Trip – Drive south from Prague, connecting Třeboň, Budweiser Budvar Brewery, Hluboká Castle, and Český Krumlov.
• Prague In Depth with Český Krumlov – Stay in Lesser Town and explore the castle, Petřín Hill and the Jewish Quarter at a leisurely pace, with a day trip to…
• Bohemia to Moravia by Train & Bus – Explore the highlights of the Czech Republic without a car: Prague, Český Krumlov, Telč, Brno, and Olomouc.
• Czech Republic Grand Self-Drive Loop – Drive a loop around the Czech Republic, connecting spa towns, Český Krumlov, Moravian wine country, and Olomouc.
• Prague, Český Krumlov, Vienna & Budapest – The classic Central European trio, with an overnight stay in Český Krumlov, traveling sequentially by bus and train.