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.
The Round Tower from the Courtyard
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.
Entering Krumlov Castle
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.
View of the Castle from the Old Town
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.
The Bear Pits
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.
View of the Castle from the Café
Follow the links below for more information on the Český Krumlov Castle complex:
- The Castle’s Gardens & Round Tower.
- The Castle’s Baroque Theater.
Noted that only a select few of the tours are in English – thanks for that tip. I’ve been to the majority of the Czech Republic but not yet to Český Krumlov – I did find that English was a bit of a hurdle and there was a bit more of a language barrier here in the Czech Republic than I had found with other European Nations, though as you found too, they generally always try to communicate and correspond as best they can. College students seem to be more fluent than anyone else, so I’m glad you had a student to guide your tour 🙂
I would love to get back to explore Český Krumlov and visit the castle 🙂
Meg,
Language was a bit of an issue, but people’s willingness to help always seemed to prevail! I would definitely recommend Český Krumlov when you get back to the Czech Republic.
What is your favorite place you have visited in the Czech Republic?
it seems like a great attraction. Just a shame you can not take pictures. Do you know the reason for it?
Shere,
The castle is a great attraction! I would have loved to take pictures, but my memory will have to do…
I am not sure if the photography rule is to help preserve the furnishings, help speed along the tour or some other reason. Postcards of a few rooms are available for purchase at the gift shops.
It’s nice that they do offer at least some tours in English–better a few than none. I love touring castles and old mansions.
Connie,
I definitely appreciate anything in English when I travel abroad, so I agree that a few English tours are very helpful!
I am realizing how fun old castles can be after Prague and Český Krumlov! Rebekah and I are looking forward to our next castle adventure!
I love castles, and the castle tours I’ve taken were very interesting. Too bad they wouldn’t let you take photos inside–I would have liked to see more!
Tami,
I wish I had more pictures to share of the interiors! I guess you will have to visit Český Krumlov yourself; you will love it!
What is your favorite castle you have visited?
The Český Krumlov Castle is beautiful! I’ve never heard of this castle or town, but I am happy to have stumbled across your blog since we are planning a trip to central Europe in fall. Prague is one of the top places on my must see list, but I didn’t really know what else there was to see in Czech Republic. Where did you guys go after Český Krumlov?
Valerie,
I would highly recommend a side trip to Český Krumlov from Prague if you have the chance! Hopefully you can carve out more than 1 day if you visit, as we were sad to leave so soon!
Check out our City Overview of Prague and our Town Overview of Český Krumlov if you need any inspiration for the Czech Republic! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at david@fromtexastobeyond.com.
After Český Krumlov, we took the train back to Prague, and flew to Paris, which will be sharing in an upcoming series over the next few months.
Let us know how your trip goes!