Continuing on in Czech Republic - Cesky Krumlov
As you may have already read, I had an amazing time in Prague. And I'm glad to say, my time in the Czech Republic didn't end there. As we left Prague, we drove through the beautiful town of Pisek and made our way to our next two-day stop in Cesky Krumlov.
CESKY KRUMLOV
THE TOWN
This was quite possibly my favorite stop of the trip. While the entire area is steeped in history, each town and city with their own stories and tortured past, there was something so calming about this town. With a castle on the hill (as many European towns have), and the orange-roofed village sprawling beneath it, it had a positively idyllic feel. I actually said my photos looked like it was a Disney village. I was there and I could hardly believe how picturesque it was! The shops are lovely and it's a very walkable village.
I saw some of the most amazing sunsets and each of the three nights that we spent in the village, I had my favorite spot picked out for the view. I would sit and soak in the sun touching the horizon, well past 9pm. I would then walk down to the square to sit and take in the sounds of the local musicians. I'd slowly make my way back to the hotel, conveniently located on the square, and go to bed feeling completely at peace. For a snippet of some of the musicians I was lucky enough to hear, click here for a mash-up video.
I guess on one of these nights I was looking particularly peaceful as two older men asked to snap my photo while I listened to the guitar player and sat on the Black Plague monument. (As I found out, most of the towns/cities in Easter Europe have these columns to commemorate the plague...yes, it does sound a bit weird.) Perhaps someday I'll end up in someone's photo gallery:)
ACTIVITIES
We embarked on a quite a few activities during our stay here. One of which was the Lipno treetop hike. Here they had cleared a portion of the forest and built up a spiral walkway to bring you to the treetops. It's wonderful to sit and stare out at the thousands of trees and see all the way to Austria. On the way down, you can pay an extra 2 euro or so and take a spiral slide down (highly recommended!) A wonderful afternoon if you're looking for something different.
In addition, we took a short rafting trip down the quite tame Vltava River as it snakes through the center of Czesky Krumlov. If you aren't able to swim or have a fear of rapids, this is definitely the trip for you! The river is very mild, quite shallow and you are safe with a guide and life jacket. A lovely thing to do on a sunny afternoon.
Lastly, we visited a local monastery. I couldn't believe how ornate the cathedral was. No photos were allowed, but we did do a group sing to hear the outstanding acoustics. I can only imagine an organ concert in this venue would be breathtaking. The groundskeeper then took us to a back room with an incredible collection of art and then...the books! Volumes and volumes of books dating back hundreds of years. The main collection was a bookcase full of bibles, hundreds of them, in all languages. You couldn't get close enough to touch any of them, of course, but the sheer volume in these rooms was staggering. And what we were able to see was only a fraction of the collection.
I am so glad this was a stop that OAT chose. Between the castle and even the local cathedral in town, plus the local shops and river-side restaurants, it's a lovely stop if you're in the area. We had a lovely Italian meal at Papa's Living Restaurant and some of the best foie gras (as well as rabbit) at Jakub Restaurant. The frescoes inside were incredible and you will not be disappointed. Not to mention a lovely little creperie near the water and ice cream galore, it's a city beautiful to the eyes as well as the palette.