Sometimes you end up in a fairy-tale, other times you wake up from a nightmare. Well, this travel post is about my unexpected visit to a beautiful fairy-tale town of Český Krumlov in southern Czechia. There was nothing nightmarish about it. Unless you watch the movie Hostel which was partly filmed there.

I didn’t spend a lot of time in Český Krumlov; it was just a few leisurely hours on a Sunday morning in September. But it was enough to convince me that fairy-tales do exist even if they are full of tourists.

About Český Krumlov

So, let me tell you a bit about Český Krumlov. The gorgeous town of Český Krumlov is tucked into a dramatic bend of the Vltava river. Český Krumlov grew around a 13th-century castle established by the Vítkovci noble family. It later flourished under the powerful Rosenberg (Rožmberk) dynasty, whose influence shaped much of the town. The historical city center includes the Castle, Latran area below the castle and the Old Town across the river. The castle is actually the second largest castle in Czechia after Prague Castle which is a considerable feat taking into account that only around 13 000 people live in Český Krumlov. The town’s remarkably preserved medieval and Renaissance character earned its UNESCO World Heritage status in 1992. Nowadays, Český Krumlov is a popular town for day-trippers.

My visit to Český Krumlov

I visited Český Krumlov on an organized day trip from Prague. But I think that it’d be absolutely wonderful to spend the weekend in Český Krumlov and take it easy. Allow yourself plenty of time to breathe in the fairy-tale atmosphere. However, a day trip is really enough time to see all the sights in Český Krumlov.

We walked upwards from the bus/car park through the forest to reach the castle. Český Krumlov Castle actually consists of 40 buildings and palaces situated around five courtyards. We began our sightseeing in the fifth courtyard where you can find the Baroque theater from 17th century. You can still watch a performance at this theater albeit only a few times in the year. It’s got preserved baroque scenery, props and stage machinery. But what really took my breath away was the gorgeous view of the rest of the castle and the Old Town below.

For those of you who have more time, I’d suggest checking out the castle gardens too. After admiring the views and taking plenty of photographs among jostling Chinese tourists we proceeded to walk across the magnificent Clad Bridge which connects the Upper and the Lower Castle. Of course, you can only visit the inside of the castle palaces with a ticket. However, there’s plenty to see from the outside too.

We moved from one stunning courtyard to another until we reached the oldest part of the castle (Hrádek). There you can find the colourful tower with a viewing gallery. You can climb it to experience some gorgeous views of the castle and the town. I must say that even though I’ve visited a fair share of castles in my life so far I have never been to a castle which has a moat with bears. Well, that was rectified on this visit. There are live bears in the Bear moat between the first and the second courtyard of the castle. Bears have been living there since 16th century when a nobleman from Rosenberg family wanted to strengthen the supposed ties with the Italian Orsini family (orso means bear in Italian). I did manage to see the bears. However, it’s a questionable practice to keep bears in captivity in this time and age.

Once everyone waved their goodbyes to the bears, we descended down some steps to the charming Latran area. Cobbled streets, colourful historic buildings, cute souvenir shops and cafés made for a very enjoyable walk towards the main square. You can just turn down some alleyway and find yourself at the riverside. I did exactly that later on. We crossed the Lazebnický bridge and saw the river and the castle perched on the rocks above it. There are plenty of tranquil riverside cafés too.

The main square Náměstí Svornosti has beautiful burgher houses, the Renaissance Town Hall and the baroque Plague Column with the fountain. There’s also a Museum of Torture which seems to be present in every European town worthy of a tourist visit. The main square is a lovely place for a drink. However, I decided to first visit the Gothic church of Saint Vitus. I went inside the church and had a look around. Then, I strolled in the general direction of the former Jesuit college and monastery and now a luxury Hotel Růže.

I found a small rose garden just across the Hotel Růže which is a great viewpoint over the town and the Castle as you can see in the above photo. Then, I came across the Regional museum and the end of the road. If you’re into museums you can also check out Egon Schiele art center (he was a famous Austrian painter who lived in Krumlov for a while) and Seidel museum to see an old photo studio. There’s also a free Museum of Commerce with exhibits such as old cash registers and old advertisements.

So, I decided to go back down to the main square and the river. I even bought some gingerbread on the way down. It was lovely just to wander around the pretty streets. I also stumbled upon some art exhibits. Moreover, I saw a former mill. It’s got a very interesting way of making the mill wheel turn. You need to place a coin in the devil’s butt to start it. But first you need to find the tiny devil’s sculpture. The former mill is now a bakery & cafe and a museum.

If I had had more time, I would have tried rafting. That must be a very special sightseeing experience, especially on a sunny autumn day. Instead, I just walked by the river before sitting down for a drink. And that was it, really. It was time to go back. I crossed the small footbridge, walked under the Clad Bridge, and found myself back at the car park.

Even though I spent only a few lovely hours in beautiful Český Krumlov I highly recommend visiting it.

I visited Český Krumlov in September 2026.