Loading...
Loading...
Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
Cesky Krumlov is one of Europe's most perfectly preserved medieval towns. The castle, the second-largest in the Czech Republic after Prague, towers above a tangle of narrow streets and red-roofed houses on the river below. The castle's famous painted tower is visible from every angle, and its courtyards, gardens, and revolving Baroque theater are extraordinary. The town's small scale — you can walk across it in ten minutes — belies its density of beauty, with Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque buildings compressed into the river's tight loop. The Egon Schiele Art Centrum honors the Austrian painter who lived and worked here. Rafting and canoeing on the Vltava add a different perspective, and the castle gardens, often overlooked, stretch along the hillside with sculpted hedges and a revolving open-air theater. Despite heavy tourism in peak season, early morning and evening walks reveal the town's magic.
explore by interest
Visit early morning or after 5pm when day-trippers have left — the town transforms from crowded to magical, and the evening light on the castle is stunning.
May through June and September offer pleasant weather with fewer crowds than July and August, while the Five-Petaled Rose Festival in June features medieval celebrations.