Hidden Treasure (Ceský Krumlov)

Member Name: Cow-Lover

Product:	Ceský Krumlov
Date:	01/10/00 (133 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun, friendly, fabulous

Disadvantages: not for hardcore city junkies

Cesky Krumlov. Where?

Not exactly a world-renowned holiday destination, I know, but if you are in the Czech Republic and fancy seeing somewhere other than the tourist-filled plazas of Prague, hop on a train and find the spiritual refreshment your soul has been hungering for.

CK is right in the south of the Czech Rep. on the Austrian border. To get there from Prague, take a train down to Cesky Budejovice (aka Budweiser) and then a half-hour bus ride to CK. The whole thing will cost you about a fiver and the train journey (make sure you take a "quick" train if you can) is about 3 hours. A handy tip when you arrive at Cesky Budejovice is to nip through the underpass to the bus station at top speed, as bus and train times are cleverly interlinked to make your journey smoother. If you do linger in the station on arrival you are likely to face a 1 or 2 hour wait for the next bus - boring!

Cesky Krumlov itself is best described as a kind of fairytale island almost completely embraced by a loop in the river Vltava. Medieval in style and origin, it has concentric cobbled streets, eccentric architecture, no road traffic, and is crowned by a magical castle which makes the town island look like a kind of giant cake. The town itself is fairly touristy, and is, naturally, a particular favourite with Austrians who like to cross the border for a short break - thus many menus are in German as well as English and Czech.

CK is also a favourite with backpackers and casual travellers who are on their way to and from more hectic - and popular - cities. Many of those whom we met had extended their stay at CK because it was such a fabulously relaxed and quiet haven in comparison with the other places they had been. It certainly is an alternative to city tourism - there is not actually that much to visit beyond the local museum and the castle with its gardens (although you can happily spend a whole day on this). There are two summe
rtime open-air theatres on the castle hill and performances are highly recommended - often shows are in English, German or other languages as opposed to Czech, so don't assume it's not worth looking at the schedules.

Nightlife in CK is more understated than anything else, but there are four or five excellent bars where you can meet all nationalities of traveller under one roof - the Snake Pit is perhaps the liveliest, but also the bar by the river near Hostel Ryba is a good place for a sociable night. The only place to be avoided on pain of death is the appropriately-named club, "Desperados", on the town square. Otherwise in Cesky Krumlov, Czech beer is cheap and refreshing as ever, and tastes even better due to the Cesky Krumlov Effect - a scientifically-acknowledged phenomenon which means that you enjoy everything twice as much as usual.

Talking of enjoyment, restaurants are plentiful, although you will find marked differences in prices according to location - i.e. don't eat on the town square! That said, there are some great places to be found (just walk and you'll see everything), in particular the vegetarian restaurant. I have forgotten the name of it but there is only one and the best bit about it is that you can sit on wooden benches on the grassy river bank to eat - a peaceful lunchtime experience not to be surpassed.

Where to stay - CK is packed with little hotels and pensions, as well as hostels catering for the financially-challenged amongst us. Two places top of our list were Hostel Ryba (meaning "fish") and Hostel 99, both of which are within 10 minutes walk of the main square (everything is, in fact!). Both places cost 200 crowns a night (about £4) for an attic bed - not bad as it was still summery in early September, although as there are no windows I would not recommend this in winter. 250 crowns will get you a bed in a proper (warmer) room downstairs. Included in the price was fr
ee inner-tubing and use of facilities such as giant outdoor chess, deckchairs, and internet access (H99 only).

Err - inner-tubing?? Yep, that's what I said. As CK is in a loop of river there are various water-sports available, e.g. kayaking, rowing, etc - you will see posters everywhere if you walk round town. Inner-tubing seems to be the ideal traveller-sport. After a long night of drinking and a longer morning of sleep, collect an inflated truck inner-tube from your hostel office, pad gently down to the riverside with a couple of friends and sit down in the shade to look at the crystal-clear water flowing over shining pebbles. When you feel strong enough, remove your shoes, launch your tube on the waves and flop into it. Supported by its shape and sheer inflatable bulk you are free to lie back and let the river carry you around the outside of the town with no fear of being taken out of your depth, thanks to the weir! To try it is to love it.

There is nothing else to tell you about CK, except that it is an oasis of relaxation and fun. The atmosphere verges on the surreal due to the absence of traffic, and tourists in general are of the quieter, more reflective variety. A lot of people also come here to paint or go walking. Leaving was a hard thing to do and we could easily understand those we had met who had ended up staying a month - it felt a bit like visiting Brigadoon. When we puttered away in the bus, bound for Cesky Budejovice, I looked over my shoulder and, as if by magic, Cesky Krumlov had disappeared...

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