Crowned by an audacious castle and centred on an elegant old town square, Český Krumlov is a pocket-sized Prague. Renaissance and baroque buildings enclose the looping arc of the Vltava River, housing plenty of riverside cafés and bars. During summer Český Krumlov may feel like a Middle Europe theme park, but visit a few months either side of July and August and the narrow lanes and footbridges will be (slightly) more subdued and secluded. There’s a buzzy backpacker vibe with plenty of funky hostels, cheap beer from the local Eggenberg brewery, and lots of activities on offer including cruising down the meandering Vltava.
Arriving by bus from České Budějovice, get off at the Špičák bus stop, the first in town. The train station is located 1.5km north of the old town centre; buses 1, 2 and 3 make the run from the station to the Špičák bus stop.
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Sights
Wander for free through the courtyards and gardens of Český Krumlov Castle (380 704 721; 9am-6pm Tue-Sun Jun-Aug, 9am-5pm Apr, May, Sep & Oct); guided tour 1 (adult/concession 160/80Kč) takes in the Renaissance and baroque apartments that the aristocratic Rožmberk and Schwarzenberg families once called home. The Castle Tower (adult/concession 35/20Kč) provides superb views.
Across the river is Nám Svornosti, the old town square, ringed by pleasant outdoor cafés. The big attraction on a hot summer day is just messing about on the river. Rent canoes, rafts and rubber rings from various places, including Maleček (380 712 508; www.malecek.cz; Rooseveltova 28; 9am-5pm); a half-hour splash in a two-person canoe costs 350Kč. Vltava Tourist Services (380 711 988; Kájovská 62; 9am- 7pm) rents bikes (320Kč a day) and organises horse riding (250Kč an hour). Maleček also offers more sedate river trips on giant wooden rafts seating up to 36 people (280Kč for 45 minutes).
Getting around
Local buses (26Kč, 50 minutes, seven daily) and trains (46Kč, one hour, eight daily) run to/from České Budějovice, where you can change for onward travel to Brno, Plzeň or Austria.
Information
Infocentrum (380 704 622; www.ckrumlov.cz; nám Svornosti 1; 9am-8pm Jul-Aug, to 7pm Jun & Sep, to 6pm Apr, May & Oct, to 5pm Nov-Mar) Tourism, transport, accommodation and maps. Internet access is 5Kč per 5 minutes.
Shakespeare & Sons (380 711 203; Soukenická 44; 11am-7pm) Good for English-language paperbacks. Arthouse movies are screened in a cinema downstairs.
Unios Tourist Service (380 725 110; tourist.service@unios.cz; Zámek 57; 9am-6pm) Tourist information, accommodation booking and internet café with international calls (1Kč per minute).
Eating
Laibon (728 676 654; Parkán 105; mains 80-160Kč) Candles and vaulted ceilings create a nicely boho ambience in the best veggie teahouse in Bohemia.
Nonna Gina (380 717 187; Klášteriní ul 52; pizza 110Kč) Authentic Italian flavours from the authentically Italian Massaro family feature in this pizzeria down a quiet lane.
Potraviny (supermarket; Latrán 55) For those times you fancy a picnic.
Drinking
Na louži (380 711 280; Kájovská 66; mains 120-180Kč) Locals pack in here for dark beer from the local Eggenberg brewery, in a pivo parlour that’s been unchanged for a century.
Horor Bar (728 682 724; Masná 22; 6pm-late) There are occasional live gigs at this kitschy labyrinth celebrating the (un)dead.
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