Cesky Krumlov (pronounced “chesky krumhov”) is a fairytale town a few hours from Prague and it’s been at the top of my bucket list for some time. Actually, it was the only place I visited aside from Prague because I really, really wanted to see it. I thought it made a nice trip out.

A Brief History of Cesky Krumlov

There’s lots of evidence of a large settlement in the area during the Bronze age, dating back about 8 thousand years, and later a large Celtic settlement.

“Modern” Cesky Krumlov history starts in the 6th-7th centuries, when Slavic tribes settled in the area. A castle was established atop a hill overlooking the town and in 1253, the name “Cesky Krumlov” was first mentioned in the historical record. It was initially ruled by the Vitek family and then passed over to the Rosenberg family – you can see lots of their rose emblems around the city today. They ruled for several centuries.

Cesky Krumlov has always been a small town with the domineering presence of royalty (until fairly recently, though their castle still remains). As such, it still retains its medieval and Renaissance heritage. Cesky Krumlov’s historic center is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Things to Do & See in Cesky Krumlov

The most common thing to do in Cesky Krumlov is to visit their impressive Castle which towers over the town. It dates back to the 13th century and has been inhabited by the Rosenberg, Eggenberg, and Schwarzenberg families. You can visit the grounds for free, getting great views over the rest of the town. Please note that the walk is very steep in certain areas. From the castle you can continue onto Zamecky Park.

The castle has several tours which you can read about here. I did Route I which includes the Renaissance and Baroque areas of the castle. I wanted to do Route II as well to see the more modern rooms but they were already sold out for the day when I got there. You’ll need times tickets. During the summer months you can secure your tickets online.

I thought the Route I tour was quite beautiful and also very informational. It lasts about an hour and covers the castle’s history from the medieval to the Renaissance era. I absolutely recommend it. The castle was definitely my favorite part of Cesky Krumlov.

Another place I got to visit was the Museum Fotoatelier Seidel which is the former home of photographer Josef Seidel. He worked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and ran a successful photography and postcard company out of his home. Everything from the dark room to the photography studio and the beautiful art nouveau interiors is still intact, and it’s a cool place to visit. You can also get your photo taken there like it’s 1915. The Fotoatelier is also a place I definitely recommend a visit to.

I decided to stop in the Regional Museum and I’m glad I did! They have a ton of information about Cesky Krumlov and the region, from prehistoric settlements to the Rosenberg family to being a satellite state of the USSR. It’s told through artefacts, reproductions, and lots of text and I actually learned a lot by visiting. I think the eeriest part was seeing a film from what looked like the early 20th century, to see it was from the 1960s. Life under Russia…

Some places you may want to stop by are St Michael’s Bridge (different from the Cloak Bridge at the castle) and St Vitus Church. The church is another icon of the city and dates all the way back to the 15th century. You can go inside for free but it is a bit underwhelming. There’s also the Cesky Krumlov Cloisters which apparently have an interactive exhibit of the town’s history.

Something you can do during the warmer months are water sports like kayaking. It was too cold when I visited but I personally love a good kayak trip.

Other than that, Cesky Krumlov is a lovely town to walk around. Lots of the exterior walls have paintings and ornaments, and are quite colorful, so it’s nice to stop and look at the individuality of each building. The old town is quite small with only a few streets, but there are still several different artworks spread across the buildings. It’s such a Renaissance town!

Make sure you explore the area around the castle, down the street Latran, rather than just making a beeline for the “island” part of town. Both are beautiful areas.

Most people visit Cesky Krumlov as a day trip, which is what I did. Of course for slow travellers this is not really ideal, and there are a lot of bloggers that say you need to spend the night or an extra day in town. Honestly I thought visiting as a day trip was fine. Unless there’s a lot you want to see and you want to take your time seeing it, the town is quite small. I was there for about 5 or 6 hours and I felt that was enough for me.

Cesky Krumlov is quite touristy, as you can imagine. There are lots of tourists and a lot of the menus and signs are in English only – which signals to me that not a lot of locals hang out.

But it’s still a stunning townscape and I think visiting the castle really made the trip worthwhile for me. I’m glad I got to visit and see what all the fuss is about. Next time I’ll see how Czechia’s other cities compare.

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