Český Krumlov - UNESCO World Heritage Site

I’m feeling a little short of inspiration at the moment, especially when it comes to topics, events or places to write about, so instead, I’ve decided to take a look back at a few of the amazing places I have visited over the years. First up is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Český Krumlov, situated in the far south of the Czech Republic. This picturesque city was a place I’d wanted to visit for a long time, but by the time the right opportunity arose, it had become the number two tourist attraction in the country, after Prague.

The story begins back in the early part of the twenty-first century when I picked up a copy of the Good Beer Guide to Prague and the Czech Republic. Written by Graham Lees, who was one of the four founding members of the Campaign for Real Ale, the publication is very much in the same vein as Lee’s earlier Good Beer Guide to Munich and Bavaria. I bought my copy of Graham’s Czech guide at the London Drinker Beer Festival; an event that until a few years ago was held at the Camden Centre, virtually opposite St Pancras station. That particular year the crowds seemed too much, so I decided to leave early and escape to somewhere less busy and with far fewer people.

My choice of the Spaniard’s Inn, on the edge of Hampstead Heath, might seem a little strange at first, but I had been reading Charles Dickens’s classic The Pickwick Papers and this atmospheric old coaching inn featured in a particular episode of the book. Being in possession of an all-zones London Travel Card, a journey to Hampstead would cost me nothing, apart from my time.

So, after taking the underground to Hampstead, followed by a brisk walk across the Heath, I found myself in the relative tranquillity of the Spaniards. After purchasing a pint, I found a secluded corner to sit in and took the opportunity to get stuck into my Czech Beer Guide. The book was published at a time when the Czech beer scene was in a state of flux, following the changes that happened after the fall of communism and the rush to embrace a free-market economy. The changes that occurred are too numerous and too complex to discuss here, but on a more general note one particular travel reference really caught my eye.

The guide author was describing a small town in Southern Bohemia called Český Krumlov, saying that no visitor could fail to be awestruck by the time-warp medieval beauty of this settlement constructed in a tight loop of the Vlatava River. He went on to say that it was as though some witch had cast a spell over the entire town, leaving it preserved, like Sleeping Beauty adrift from the modern world. For various reasons I had to wait until 2015 to make that trip and by then, as mentioned above, Český Krumlov had soared in popularity amongst tourists, and was now second to Prague as the “must visit” location in the Czech Republic. The concern was that with the granting of UNESCO world heritage status. more and more tourists would discover the town, thereby breaking the spell that had kept the town in a state of preservation, free from the embellishments of the late 20th Century. Wow! This was a place I needed to visit and visit soon.

Son Matthew and I took an eight-day break in early October of that year, spending four days in Prague before travelling, by coach to Český Krumlov, where we spent the second half of our trip. Our stay was characterised by sunny days, but increasingly cold nights. Autumn was definitely a week or two ahead of the UK, with some spectacular seasonal colours from the trees. Snow was forecast for the weekend after our visit but I’m sure that’s probably not that unusual for a mountainous region of central Europe.

Our Student Agency coach dropped us off at Český Krumlov bus station mid-afternoon, and after getting a bit disoriented, we managed to locate our accommodation, Penzion Kriz at the edge of town. After checking in, we took a walk down into the centre of this charming old town, with its well-preserved medieval buildings. Chief of these was the imposing castle which looms over Český Krumlov, virtually dominating the town centre. 

It is the second largest castle in the Czech Republic, after Prague and is well worth a few hours exploration. The views from the castle walls out over the town alone, more than repay the admission charge, although you will have to dodge the hordes of eager tourists – mainly Chinese and American. Apart from a brief look around the courtyard, below the castle entrance, we left our main visit until the following day and set off to find a place to eat. We found this in the form of an old medieval tavern, called U Dwau Maryi, located down a narrow alley. Here we sat out, under cover (it was raining slightly), on a heated terrace, overlooking the Vlatava River. A meal of chicken and smoked meat pieces, with potatoes and salad, washed down with several glasses of locally brewed Eggenberg beer (both pale and dark), left us both feeling satisfied and full, and was a good way to round off our first evening in Český Krumlov. We wandered back to the Penzion and turned in for the night.

Now I’m not going to describe every meal we enjoyed during our stay, nor list every pub we visited, but apart from the medieval tavern described earlier, the large Bohemian-style beer hall attached to the Eggenberg Brewery was a good place to spend the evening. Its location, across the river and away from the town centre, did mean it was mercifully free of tourists. It is worth noting that Český Krumlov is quite a compact town that is easily covered on foot in a day. This does mean that a stay of two or three days is probably sufficient to fully explore the town and experience all it has to offer. Matthew, who was in his early twenties at the time, was a trifle bored by the end of our four day stay, as he was missing the shops and other bright-light attractions associated with larger towns and cities.

Despite these comments, the town did not disappoint, and I would urge anyone who appreciates great architecture in a spectacular setting to add a visit to Český Krumlov to their bucket list. The easiest and quickest way to reach the town is to follow our example and take the comfortable Student Agency coach. Services depart from Prague Florenc bus station, but there are also connections to and from Prague airport. Tickets, which are very reasonably priced, can be purchased in advance online, or from the driver. Journey times are just over two hours.