Perched high on a cliff above the Old Town is the imposing Český Krumlov Castle, constructed to control an important river crossing on the Vltava below. The Round Tower pierces the sky with its pastel-colored Renaissance façade. Cross the draw bridge over the bear pits at the entrance, and walk steadily uphill through a sequence of courtyards until you cross a multi-leveled bridge and reach a Baroque theater. Pleasant English and French style gardens add one additional layer of sophistication to the experience.

If you find yourself in Český Krumlov, this Castle and the complimenting beauty of its surroundings is likely what brought you here. The best word I can find for this UNESCO World Heritage Site is picturesque! There are no words, no pictures that can accurately capture the splendor of this small town in the southwest corner of the Czech Republic.

Well, now that I have set myself up with an impossible task, let me tell you more about this place…with words and pictures.

Logistics: The Castle is the top attraction in Český Krumlov, and should be your first stop to secure tickets for a guided tour. While tours are frequent, a select few are in English. There are two tours that are offered of the Castle. Tour I focuses on the Gothic and Renaissance rooms, and is the best option for most groups. Tour II provides an overview of 19th-century castle life. A third tour of the Castle’s Baroque theater located within the Castle complex is a great option as well. While you can see the exterior of the Český Krumlov Castle, walk through the series of courtyards and even explore the gardens without a ticket and for free, the tours offer the only options to see the interiors.

This first article will provide a general overview of the Castle and share our impressions of the Castle tour. A second article will guide you through the Gardens and the Round Tower, and a final article will focus on the Baroque theater. First, the Castle tour…

Tickets can be purchased for all three tours at the ticket office, located within the first and largest courtyard. You may try reserving tickets by phone a few days before you arrive, but we did not try. The tour schedule seems to change regularly, so purchasing in person may be the easiest option. The Castle tour (in English) costs 250 Crowns, about $12, and lasts an hour. The ticket office accepts credit cards.

When Rebekah and I arrived in Český Krumlov, we quickly checked into our hotel, Pension U Zámku, and then went directly to the ticket office. We secured tickets for the last Castle tour in English later that afternoon. We also purchased tickets for the Theater tour for the next day, but no English tours were available before our departure time. In general, the longer your visit to Český Krumlov, the less you have to worry about getting tickets. Since we only had 24 hours in the town, and were very limited in options, we decided to take a Czech tour of the Theater. On the bright side, the Czech tours are less expensive!

With an hour and a half before our tour, we walked downhill to the river, crossed Barber’s Bridge, and found a lovely restaurant for lunch, Penzion Kristinka. The outdoor seating under large umbrellas offered stunning views of the Castle above, as well as rafters and boaters paddling down the Vltava River. The late lunch was delicious, and also provided our first pints of the local Czech beer, Eggenberg, Rebekah’s favorite.

We made the ascent back up to the Castle, pausing this time on the draw bridge to enjoy the three brown bears in the bear pits. The pits acted as an intimidating moat, protecting the front gate of the Castle. Long ago, bears were added by the ruling Rožmberk family to insinuate a close connection with a powerful Italian family. Political games started long ago. The bears were enjoying a lazy afternoon, only occasionally paying attention to their fruit and vegetable buffet spread before them.

The Castle Tour: The tour began in one of the smaller courtyards. The smooth walls were painted to look like giant cut stones and were decorated with 2-dimensional paintings of statues and columns, giving an impression of depth. Do not be late, as the tour departs promptly, and immediately enters the Castle with the large door locking behind the last guest. No photography is permitted on the tour, except from an open window overlooking the Old Town below.

Our tour guide was a college age student who was fluent in English, but spoke quickly and with an accent, so you had to pay attention to catch every word. While he was closely following a script, he did his best to answer our questions while still guiding us at a very brisk rate through each room. The tour began in the Castle’s chapel. I was struck that even the Castle’s private chapel had a hierarchy, with workers on the first floor, nobles in the balcony and the Lord and Lady in the opera-like box overlooking the altar from the side, high above the others. After the chapel, the tour winded through the banquet hall and living quarters. The rooms were neatly organized around the central courtyards, allowing most rooms a window and fresh air. The tour concluded in the ball room, the Hall of Mirrors. While not the best tour by any means, we would still recommend it since it is the only way to peek inside this great structure.

Follow the links below for more information on the Český Krumlov Castle complex:

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