Středa 26 srpna 2015
Today we were in for a much-anticipated treat with a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed 700-year old village Český Krumlov, meaning 'Bohenian Crumlaw', built around a 13th Century castle, located about 180 km south of Praha in the Southern Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It is 3 hours by bus from Praha at a cost of 400CZK or about $20 - we went with the Student Agency whose bemusing slogan is 'fun and relax'!
This image is courtesy of Czech Tourism.
It must be even more gorgeous in winter with a layer of snow!
This beautifully preserved picturesque town is a step-back in time, with its narrow cobblestone streets radiating out for the small town squarer, its 13th century castle (dating back to 1240 when the castle was built by the Witigonen family, the main branch of the powerful Rosenberg family), its fairy tale pink bell tower, quaint shops, and pastel- coloured buildings with architecture ranging from Gothic, Hogh Gothic and Renaissance to Baroque.
It is located on a horseshoe bend in the Vltava River, upstream of Prague,
..... so the water runs clear and fast, with little rapids, making it perfect for canoes - the owners of the restaurace and penziony taking every opportunity to set up terrace dining on the river banks - the teracy have umbrellas and are decorated with pots of flowers such as red geraniums - perfect for a ginger beer while taking in the sights!
The view from the Castle
The crest of the Schwarzenberg Family (who had possession of the castle for 230 years from 1717 until 1947 before it was passed to the Czechoslovak State in 1950), in the wrought iron arch over the entrance gates to the Castle.
View of the unusual covered castle's Cloak Bridge, Plastovy, over the gorge, connecting the 4t6h and 5th courtyards of the State castle buildings.
Penny tried some local cuisine - Trdelník - a thin sweet pastry (a traditional Slovak pastry, dated to the 1600s), is cooked on a wooden stick (hence the Trdelnik translates to 'clodpole') which is rolled over coals or a hot grill and dusted in sugar, almonds and cinnamon - she said it was tasty but not the sort of thing she'd feel the need to have again!
How Trdelník is cooked.
Pastel-coloured buildings in pink, green and yellow- lighter than in Prague.
We didn't go on any guided tours but we did pay 200 Kc to climb the bell tower - well worth it to see the massive bell and the spectacular views over the village - see below!
I bought a lovely hand-carved wooden biscuit cutter - to make decorated Christmas ginger breads - for 200Kc or about $5 from this lovely local craftsman.
We had a wonderful day exploring the enchanting village of Cesky Krumlov and highly recommend it to others!
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