Local, Near and Far: Our journey of exploring the world.

Tag: Český Krumlov Castle (Page 1 of 2)

In Case You Missed It…Czech Republic

Every couple weeks we’ll be collecting links from past posts grouped together by location; we thought it handy to have everything in one convenient location as you plan your upcoming travels. We just finished a couple different series featuring the Czech Republic, so here’s your recap:

Prague

Church of Our Lady before Týn

Church of Our Lady before Týn

Prague City Overview: Prague is a wonderful city! We were excited to sample the greatest parts of the Czech culture during our two day visit.

Hotel Hastal Prague Old Town: Hotel Hastal features clean, comfortable hotel rooms with convenient access to Prague’s Old Town for an economical price.

Old Town Square-Prague: The Prague Old Town Square includes the Týn Church, the Church of St. Nicholas, the Jan Hus statue, and the Old Town Hall with its Astronomical Clock.

The Slav Epic: Czech artist Alfons Mucha painted his 20-canvas masterpieces, the Slav Epic, housed in the Veletržní Palace in Prague.

National Cemetery in Vyšehrad

National Cemetery in Vyšehrad

Czech Beer: Czechs love beer. While in Prague and Český Krumlov, we enjoyed experiencing this integral part of the culture by sampling some great Czech beers.

Foreigners in a Local’s Pub: What is it like to drink a pint and eat cheese at the local’s pub? In Prague, this is a serious venture at the Golden Tiger.

St. Vitus Cathedral

St. Vitus Cathedral

The Music of Prague: With Prague’s rich and beautiful musical heritage, treat yourself to a concert! You will not be disappointed.

Prague Castle: Explore the squares, palaces, and churches of Prague Castle and miss the crowds completely by taking a romantic late night stroll.

Saint Vitus Cathedral: If you are in Prague, you must visit the Prague Castle and the stunning Saint Vitus Cathedral with its Mucha stained glass window.

Vyšehrad – Prague: When visiting Prague, you must visit Vyšehrad for scenic views, a relaxing time, and a beautiful insight into Czech artistry and history.

Český Krumlov

View of Church of Saint Vitus from Český Krumlov Castle

View of Church of Saint Vitus from Český Krumlov Castle

Český Krumlov Town Overview: The small, picturesque town of Český Krumlov provides an additional perspective of the Czech Republic beyond Prague.

Pension U Zámku: Pension U Zámku provides a wonderful bed and breakfast experience conveniently located under Český Krumlov Castle at a great price.

Český Krumlov Castle: The main attraction in this small Czech Town is Český Krumlov Castle, complete with a tower, bear pits, bridges, gardens, and panoramic views.

Český Krumlov Castle Gardens & Round Tower: Continuing our look into the Český Krumlov Castle complex, we explore the Castle’s Gardens and climb the Round Tower for a view of the Czech countryside.

Český Krumlov Castle At Night

Český Krumlov Castle At Night

View of Český Krumlov from Hill of the Cross: Enjoy a peaceful sunset view of Český Krumlov just minutes away from the town center.

Český Krumlov Theater: You will travel back in time when you visit the Český Krumlov Baroque Theater, one of two preserved Baroque theaters in the world.

Český Krumlov After Dark: Grab a beer and enjoy a traditional Czech meal at the Gypsy Bar before a romantic stroll through the lamp-lit town of Český Krumlov at midnight.

The People of the Czech Republic: The most enjoyable part of traveling is meeting locals. Our interaction with the caring Czech people was a highlight of our trip!

The Round Tower at Cesky Krumlov Castle

The Round Tower at Cesky Krumlov Castle

Český Krumlov After Dark

Some places turn magical after dark.  Český Krumlov is one of these magical places!

After watching the sun set over the town from the Hill of the Cross, Rebekah and I began a leisurely walk back into town.  Food was our first priority.

Plague Column in the Old Town Square

Plague Column in the Old Town Square

After winding through some back streets of the Old Town, we found the lively Gypsy Bar.  Český Krumlov has a large Roma (formerly known as Gypsy) population, and as we entered, we felt welcomed.  Seated at the few tables, locals were drinking beer and a couple of tourists ate food silently.  I ordered a Pilsner Urquell, the staple Czech beer, while Rebekah enjoyed a glass of red wine for a change.  A large plate of ham with sauerkraut and potato pancakes and a second with fried fish and potatoes soon arrived; the food was delicious!  While no one played music that night, an entertaining atmosphere still filled the small pub.  As we ate, we realized the five men at the front table had their portraits on the walls.  They were definitely regulars!

Český Krumlov Castle At Night

Český Krumlov Castle At Night

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Cesky Krumlov Castle – The Castle Theater

One of the gems of the Cesky Krumlov Castle complex is the Baroque Castle Theater.  This performance hall is in incredible condition after its renovation in 1997 and is currently in use after its 300 year origin.  Many of the original scenes and props are still used!

As a music major, I studied these theaters.  It was amazing to be able to actually walk into the theater and see how it worked.  There are only two in such amazing condition left in the world.  The other is in Sweden.  The predominant reason there are only two theaters such as these left in the world is mainly due to fires.  Most of the theaters burned down to the ground.  The theater was lit by open flames candles and pyrotechnics were also used to achieve certain theatrical effects.   The tour guide said that during the performances, there were firefighters on call, just in case…  It is a miracle there are two theaters left.

Theater Poster

Theater Poster

When we visited, there were tours in Czech and English, but we could not make the English tour, so a Czech tour it was.  Being in the Czech Republic only 4 days at that point, we only knew words such as “yes”, “no” and “thank you”.  So the tour was not going to be super helpful, but it was the only way to see the theater.  Thankfully, the tour guide knew some English and filled us in when she could.  It was very generous of her!

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Český Krumlov Castle – Gardens & Round Tower

The Round Tower

The Round Tower

Today, we continue exploring the most popular attraction in Český Krumlov, the Krumlov Castle.  Since there are many areas within the spectacular Castle complex, we began this miniseries with an overview of the Český Krumlov Castle, as well as information on the guided tours available.  In this second article, we concentrate on the Castle Gardens and the Round Tower.  The Gardens are simply beautiful, and the panoramic views from the Round Tower are worth the climb!

In general, the entire Castle is a must-see if you are anywhere near Český Krumlov!

Český Krumlov Castle Gardens

Český Krumlov Castle Gardens

The Castle Gardens:  After finishing the Castle Tour, we slowly walked across the multi-leveled bridge and continued the climb to the Gardens.  The views of the Old Town and Vltava River are awesome!  There is a small café with a wonderful observation point, allowing you to look back on the Castle stretching to your right. Continue reading

Český Krumlov Castle – Overview & Tour

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

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. Continue reading

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