Český Krumlov is a town of just 13,000 people in the rolling hills of Bohemia. This magical destination in southern Czechia has become a top spot for many day trippers from Prague since the castle was made a UNESCO world heritage site in 1992. One of the most important travel tips we’ve learned on this adventure is that popular day trip spots are great places to spend a night. The buses roll out of town around 4 PM and the town turns into a much more wonderful place. This was no exception. We spent about 24 hours here and it was amazing.
Getting to Český Krumlov
There is a train station in town and you can easily take a train from Prague. We came from Salzburg and had to transfer at the border, but the train stations and towns that we rolled through were wonderful. One word of caution – the train station is about a 20 minute walk from the middle of town. When you arrive, it’s all downhill, but when you leave it’s all uphill.
We ended up booking a Flixbus to Prague because it cost less than $10 for both of us and picked us up right next to the castle. It saved us the walk uphill with our backpacks and a transfer in a nearby town.
Afternoon Arrival
Once the bags were dropped off, we were off to explore the town. It is not a very large place, so it’s easy to walk around the entire old town area in the afternoon. There are tons of great shops to wander into and explore. You can also find some amazing view points in town thanks to the hills.
Eat at Laibon
This vegetarian restaurant is located right on the river and has a HUGE menu. The owner helped us look through the menu and decide what to get. We settled on some buckwheat pancakes and a local dish with sheep’s cheese (pictured below). It was outstanding. Our spot was so perfect that we ordered blueberry dumplings for dessert so we could sit there just a little longer.
I would recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Český Krumlov – meat eater or not. The food was fantastic and it was awesome for us to try something local that was veg friendly.
Late Afternoon Relaxing
While the tour buses are loading up the big groups, the people watching is pretty prime. We grabbed an outdoor table at the Apotheka Cafe Bar and enjoyed a cold beer while watching the streets clear out. There are a bunch of great spots for coffee, wine or beers near the castle that you can grab a table and just relax.
This is also a perfect time of day to snap a few photos. The castle tower is one of the most beautiful buildings in town. Many say it resembles a wedding cake.
Dinner Time with Dessert First
The town is filled with candy stores and gingerbread stores. It’s extremely tempting to stuff yourself with sweets. We split one gingerbread cookie and it was wonderful, but we cut ourselves off there. For dinner, we went with another Lonely Planet recommendation – Nonna Gina. The food was great. We just split a pizza with some wine. Pretty standard meal for us, but a great option if you are looking for easy and familiar.
Enjoy the Quiet Night
If I hadn’t seen the huge groups of tourists that afternoon, I never would have believed that Český Krumlov sees almost a million visitors each year. Once it’s dark, the streets are quiet and peaceful. You can hear the river running and it’s such a beautiful and serene place. Our hotel was right by the water and we slept great with the windows open listening to the rush of water outside the window.
Climb the Castle Tower
The tower opens at 9 AM and I would recommend getting there right away to buy your tickets. We had the place to ourselves the whole time we were there. As soon as we reached the bottom of the steps, we could see the people starting to file in.
The tower has 162 steps to get to the top, but the views are amazing. I would imagine it’s frustrating when it is more crowded because the stairs are narrow and the platform on top isn’t very big. Definitely go right away in the morning for the best experience.
With your ticket, you have access to the museum. We were pretty underwhelmed, but you do learn a little bit more about the uses of the building. The highlight for me was seeing the room with all the different kinds of toilets the castle has used over the years (weird, but it was memorable).
Explore the Castle Grounds & Bear Moat
Yes, you read that right, a bear moat. You can read about it in detail here. The castle has had bears living in the moat since 1707. It was definitely not something I was expecting to see, but it’s hard to miss when you’re visiting.
The castle grounds are free to explore. We spent the rest of our morning doing just that. There are full tours of the inside of the castle, but we decided against that. We had a scheduled bus ticket for late morning and we wanted time to take advantage of our hotel’s free breakfast.
The grounds of the Český Krumlov castle are beautiful and worth visiting. There are gardens, amazing views of the city and obviously the bears.
Where to Stay in Český Krumlov
We selected this small hotel and it was perfect. It was right underneath the castle, had a restaurant downstairs, breakfast was great and the room was very comfortable. Plus, the price was hard to beat. I would definitely stay here again and again.
Also, the dog pictured below is Jakub. He lives near the hotel and you might get to hang out with him. We did for about 20 minutes after breakfast and we will never forget him.
Is Český Krumlov on your list?
Tell us if you are planning a trip here. We would love to follow along and see your pictures!
