Czech Republic
When
April to Oct
Price
From 1 700€ excl. flights
(based on 2 people sharing)
How long
4 nights
Ideal length
Český Krumlov, a medieval town in South Bohemia, owes its distinctive shape to a horseshoe bend in the Vltava River that wraps the historic centre around itself five times, creating a maze of cobbled lanes virtually unchanged since the 14th century. The town's castle, the Czech Republic's second-largest castle complex after Prague's, overlooks the city from a rocky spur and is home to a trompe-l'œil painted tower whose fake ashlar stonework has been fooling visitors' eyes since the 16th century.
Český Krumlov's historic centre, UNESCO World Heritage listed since 1992, owes its singular layout to a horseshoe bend in the Vltava that wraps around the old town five times, a geological phenomenon so pronounced that the river seems in places to flow in several directions at once. This exceptional topography spared the town from excessive modern urbanisation, leaving a maze of cobbled lanes, Renaissance facades, and Gothic courtyards virtually unchanged since the 14th century.
Český Krumlov Castle, the Czech Republic's second-largest castle complex after Prague's, spans forty buildings and courtyards spread across a rocky spur overlooking the Vltava, with a continuous architectural history running from the 13th to the 19th century. Its circular tower, entirely covered in the 16th century with a trompe-l'œil sgraffito fresco imitating fake ashlar stonework, has been fooling visitors' eyes for over four centuries and offers from its summit a complete panorama over the old town's wrapped red rooftops.
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A Renovated Renaissance House in the Old Town
A renovated Renaissance house in the maze of the old town, original vaulted ceilings, within walking distance of the castle and main square.
An Inn on the Banks of the Vltava
A traditional inn on the banks of the Vltava, a terrace facing directly onto the river with a view of the bend that wraps around the town.
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