Cesky Krumlov- 2 nights and last stop in Czech Republic
And what a last stop! This is definitely a city out of a fairy tale! With the huge, awe-inspiring castle perched on the hills above, the majestic castle tower beside it, the labyrinth of narrow cobbled streets with centuries old, colourful buildings on either side, and the meandering Vitava River wrapping the different parts of the city in this beautiful horseshoe bend, it seems the perfect place to finish my Czech Republic tour.
So, I’m taking a breather whilst there’s a short patch of drizzle to write my blog. I have to say that I was worried that the visit would be spoiled by the huge numbers of tourists descending on Cesky Krumlov. Everyone had warned me, so arriving to almost nobody in the town was an immediate bonus. They must have all been in the castle or at lunch!
I was somewhat surprised to be dropped off by the taxi at the top of cobbled steps leading from just below the castle entrance to the city. My poor old suitcase isn’t too happy on all these large cobblestones.
Although I had seen photos on Booking.com I hadn’t realised the size of my room. In fact, it’s fine for just me, and with my case tucked under the table, I can open the bathroom door, as long as the room door is closed. It’s a bit of a squeeze, but I have everything I really need. The stairs require me to pay attention to my feet, but all good. Luckily, I don’t have to unpack my bag.
In the photo above you can see my little place with the red shutters and door. My room is directly above the door. No noise at night as all tourists have gone!
Although I research the places I want to visit, I try not to look at too many photos. This means that I am always blown away by such sights as the tower, looming overhead. I presume they don’t have earthquakes here. Anyway, most of the buildings have coped for well over 400 years! I wandered up towards the castle, which was shut and as it was an absolutely perfect day, with rain forecast tomorrow, a crazy voice inside me said I should go up the tower. The first storeys were good, wide stairs, but as I went up and up, they got narrower, steeper and rather worn. Luckily there was a rope to hang on to and I was alone and able to take my time. By the time my nerves started to get the better of me, I thought I was near the top so didn’t want to give up. The last two flights were ghastly for me and at the top suddenly there was no rope or rail. A sweet little Japanese lady offered me her hand. Honestly, she couldn’t have possibly held me if I had slipped.
Looking at these photos, which are remarkably clear considering that I am sure I was still shaking, it was a truly breathtaking sight. I felt proud and worried at the same time. Getting down to the third steep, narrow step with no rail was foremost in my mind. A slightly larger lady helped me. She looked rather anxious! Anyway, I made it and vowed it was my last tower!
Because of the curves of the river, there are plenty of bridges , all with spectacular views.
The Castle dates back to 1253 and the two lower storeys of the Tower also to early 13 th century, but the four upper storeys were added later. I won’t go into the history, it’s all on Google! Suffice it to say, these two structures totally dominate the city from almost anywhere.
Possibly the most attractive part of the castle, along with the tower, is the stunning three-storied Cloak Bridge. Its arches stand on massive stone pillars. It connects the 4 th and 5 th courtyards of this gigantic castle, which is of course a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the second largest castle in Czech Republic after Prague.
As I mentioned, I decided to view the castle and its extensive grounds the next day. I also couldn’t face the steep climb up to it after the tower. A walk around the river, with a stop for an Aperol seemed more sensible!
I took an absolutely beautiful pathway along the river, away from the busy streets, and virtually alone. It was idyllic, with not a puff of wind to disturb the remarkably still waters of the Vitava, heading to one of the many weirs. It was certainly one of the loveliest sights of this trip. This would make such a great jigsaw,
I found a perfect spot a little further along for a drink and a Czech speciality, Melted Camembert with salad and bread. It was delicious. Once I’d finished my meal, I bought some old bread to throw to the fish. There must have been hundreds waiting below where I was sitting. Some seemed enormous, jumping out of the water as they grabbed the bread.
The inside of the restaurant was very pretty, dating back to the sixteenth century. Incredible.
theVnitri Mesto, the Inner city, was also very picturesque, still with cobbled streets and fabulous coloured houses, mostly bars, restaurants and hotels.
As I headed home, the last rays of sun were catching the top of the castle tower. Yay, I was up there!
My second day included a lot of uphill walking to visit the many courtyards of this magnificent castle. Rain was forecast and this was good for me, as I guess some people didn’t get up too early! I was almost alone for the morning in the most visited place in Cesky Krumlov. The views from the third courtyard were spectacular, almost as good as from the tower, and more easily accessible.
I was so pleased that I could access all the courtyards and gardens without paying an entry fee. That was only for the interior tours. Getting up close and personal to the Cloak Bridge was really special and I was nearly alone there. . By the time I got back about two hours later, you could hardly move. A guide was trying to get through. I suggested she needed a whistle. ‘A bomb perhaps’ was her reply, with a grin.
How serene it all looked. I’m sure it wasn’t always that way.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching the canoes and Rafts using the clever little detour of the weir. Most handled it with ease but several canoes full of teenagers who were just mucking around, ended up virtually getting stuck, or going backwards down it! There are lots of weirs, and apparently in summer there’s a real traffic jam, with boats backed up to the previous weir. Not so much fun, though it looked really great now.
Continuing through the five courtyards I eventually came to the corridor linking the last courtyard to the winter riding school and Castle Gardens.Very attractive structure with, as always, sensational views through the arches.
I was surprised to come across a rotating auditorium in the middle of the park. What a brilliant idea to be able to rotate the audience of 600 so that they view different scenes going on all around them. Shows are sadly not starting till next week, though it would have been hugely expensive. It’s apparently 60 euros, 120 dollars for the cheapest seats.
The previous summer house is also used as a stage. I spent a long time chatting to a very nice young lady working at the theatre cafe. She was rather bored because it was so quiet, so very happy to discuss the theatre in Christchurch and what goes on there too.
I very nearly didn’t go further into the gardens thinking that the castle pond was probably a small circular pond with a fountain in the middle. Fortunately, I was enjoying the solitude and decided to carry on to this gorgeous pond, not small by any means,
And covered in beautiful water lilies in full bloom. It was a magical spot, and I had it more or less to myself, and the bird and fish life there!
The rain was still holding off, so I took myself down to the river on the other side of the inner town. I discovered a massive brewery there. Very important for the Czech people. They love their Pivo, beer, as can certainly be seen by the beer bellies of broth young and old.
I didn’t feel that the diet was particularly healthy. They eat a lot of bread, cakes and desserts, and I rarely saw any fruit or vegetables for sale. Actually, I’m writing this on the train to Vienna airport and have thankfully been able to buy some fruit . Joy!
I headed back to my place in Cesky Krumlov as it started to drizzle. I’ve been so lucky everywhere I’ve been as I’ve had very little rain.
Funny sculptures around the town
In the evening, I decided to go back to the same restaurant as last night. It was so restful beside the river.
On the way, I had to cross various little bridges with old mill wheels. Very picturesque.
I was going to have fish, but with so many swimming along just below where I was sitting, I couldn’t! I had a delicious piece of chicken with cranberries and baked Camembert. Delicious.
As I drew my curtains in my mini room, I suddenly realised that I had a view directly across to my tower! I was sleeping at the other end of the bed so hadn’t noticed!
My final morning was much cooler and rainy. Colours are still rich but it’s nothing like it was on my first day. I had a couple of hours before the shuttle pick up so I opted for an exhibition, Palace of Illustration , I had seen advertised in the former mint building of the castle area. It featured over 800 original illustrations of children’s books by 33 artists across Europe.
The prints from the books are fragments of short stories and we were given a booklet showing the text which accompanied the fabulous illustrations. They were really thought provoking and beautifully written. Many were based on sensitive topics like environmental protection, death, addiction, child welfare..The pictures were so expressive and not just an accompaniment to the text.
My definite favourite, which actually made me feel so sad, was an illustration to a story about these two lions who rarely met because one was nocturnal and the other awake during the day. They met just briefly each day. I wish I had taken a photo of a snippet of the text.
Next stop Wales!
Comments
Post a Comment