On Saturday, Asia and I lit out to the south Bohemian town of Cesky Krumlov. We left at seven from the Andel bus station (actually, the bus was 45min late … the driver was prolly sleeping off Friday’s pub visit) and cruised through the countryside, gliding and turning and dipping on a two-lane highway due south of Prague.
Cesky Krumlov is a medieval castle town, built around 1300 on the Vltava River. It’s actually the second largest castle in CR, next to Prazky Hrad. The House of Eggenberg owned the castle in the 1600s, from which the Eggenberg beer brand originates. The Schwarzenberg’s via the Hapsburg empire owned the castle for two hundred years. Today, UNESCO protects the town, its beauty lying within the ancient walls that basically surround an oxbow in the river.
Asia looks amazed at all the beautiful architecture surrounding her.
CK is a walkable town, and you can see everything in town within a day. The best of Krumlov is the castle & grounds: bears in the moat, tower overlooking town & river, gardens with beauty, peace and color. An old mill on the river hosts a fab restaurant with views of the bridge between castle and gardens.
What I liked most was the medieval feel of the town. As I explained to Asia: “I always wanted to live in a castle town, and love the stone streets and architecture of Europe.” And she answered: “So you moved to Europe for its cobblestoned streets?”
Well, if you put it that way….
A gorgeous river park has views of bluff-hugging buildings now the homes of B&Bs, restaurants & pubs. Street-side cafés bubble with great crossroad architecture. And a branch of Shakespeare & Son English books has lots of yummy titles.
We spent the day tramping around town, up and down hills, over cobbles, stepping into the St Vitus cathedral, and sitting for a spell deep in the castle gardens. A streamside picnic just before the bus home picked us up really finished the day for us. I fell asleep on the bus, and evidently my head swayed to the motion of the bus. Ha-ha, Little Fox.
By the time we made it home, we were both wiped out. Bedtime couldn’t come soon enough, but not before a nice cup of tea set us up for dreamland.
Asia dreamed of being a palace-bound princess awaiting her knight in shining armor.
[more pics at my Flickr page]
