I come from Czech Republic; I have lived there most of my life! Yet I have never heard of Cesky Krumlov (apart from a vague memory of geography and history lessons) until I set of on my round the world trip. I began to notice that anytime we befriended any travellers or got chatting in a bar, that after necessary introduction including our countries of origin, this raving about Cesky Krumlov would happen very shortly after passing Prague. It happened so often in fact, that soon it seemed to me that the whole world loved Cesky Krumlov and the only person who hasn’t been was me. I was stunned as I have lived for the whole19 years of my life just about 3 hours away from this so-it-would-seem 9th wonder of the world. I felt silly, ashamed and ignorant. In fact I got so desperate that slowly I have started to plot a plan.

HOW TO GET THERE?
There are several ways how to get to Cesky Krumlov with hiring a car being probably the most comfortable one. It is fairly easy to hire a car in CR although I have never done so myself. Mainly as I have learnt to drive in Britain and the whole driving on the wrong (in fact right) side of the road is a big no no to me. However if you are confident enough there are car hires available almost everywhere. Asking in your hotel could save you lots of hassle but the internet could save you money, it is full of car hire agencies nowadays. The prices vary and a quick browse tells me that you could get a car from £9 a day. Check for extra conditions though.

When you are boarding the driver will let the passengers with reserved seats board first. There could be a bit of a shove after that as the people with no reserved seating will have a little private battle for the seats left. To be honest, no one wants to stand for three hours. There is usually a charge of 20* Czech Koruna for any luggage put to the luggage compartment and there could be a price of 10* Czech Koruna for oversized luggage on board of the vehicle. By oversized I mean a 60 litre backpack, you shouldn’t be charged for your handbag, briefcase or a day sack. Try to have the correct change or at least smaller notes as one thousand Koruna notes will just irritate the driver. You may not understand his swearing but it will save you the trauma of being shouted at in a foreign country and language. The fact is that these charges are not advertised anywhere else but on the bus when it finally rocks up, so no one should really be blamed for spending their last change on bottle of cola and a newspaper but I guess I am not here to change the way the Czech transport companies communicate with their customers. It is just an advice.

By Train:
Prague’s main train station (which is the station you need to be at to get to Cesky Krumlov) is a state of the art international train station. In the last ten years most of the Czech railway system has been rebuilt to match the European standards. You can now enjoy smooth ride, new trains and sparkling clean train stations which have facilities suitable for foreign visitor use. Some of the little local lines are still in waiting to be upgraded so the occasional rocky ride on the colourful graffiti decorated rustic trains is still available. If this is what you want to see, do not delay and go to CR as this will all change in the near future.

WHERE TO STAY?
Cesky Krumlov thrives on the whole tourist industry. Near enough every building there has some sort of accommodation on offer. From hostels with beds for a mere 200* Czech Koruna to high standard hotels for which you can fork out thousands if you want to. I would advise you to book somewhere, even just for the first night. There should not be a problem in finding a place to stay but no one wants to be stranded in the middle of the night, do they. Most of the accommodation is well advertised on internet or by travel agents and people in CK are well educated in many languages.

WHERE TO EAT, DRINK AND MEET?
Anywhere! As for food, you can cook for yourself in the hostels or apartments but go out and enjoy the traditional Czech cooking as it comes at very low prices and delicious in taste. It is NOT only about dumplings! (Even though I personally love them) Great varieties of restaurants (including foreign and vegetarian cuisines), cafes, bars, cocktail bars, pubs, clubs and tea rooms are scattered all around the town. The banks of river Vltava offer the perfect spot for any sort of catering. You can find little balconies overhanging the gentle stream or sheltered beer gardens next to the water. Perfect relaxing spots or romantic hideaways. It reminded me of the Sunday afternoons I used to have in those days before I started to work all weekends. I am sure that if you close your eyes you could, if you tried enough, imagine this idyllic relaxed sunny Sunday afternoon I am talking about. It usually involves good friends and glasses of wine (the lovely Moravian sort helps me), maybe a box of chocolates or ice cream. Well, once you get the image just hold it for a while and enjoy it. And when you are done savouring this thought, you will know exactly how Cesky Krumlov felt for me every single day I spent there - no matter what week day it was.

WHERE CAN YOU SHOP?
Where can’t you shop in Cesky Krumlov would probably be more appropriate. Little stores, big stores, stalls and benches are just heaped with souvenirs and crafty stuff. You can find anything from postcards, woodwork and pottery over to metal work, fashion and fine art. Start at the castle and work your way down to the little windy streets. Even just browsing and raking through the piles of souvenir junk is very interesting. All the colours, all the shine – for me, it was heaven on Earth. You can spend hours by just admiring the creativity of local artists without spending a penny. There are no hawkers or agents to force you to buy anything but somehow I feel you won’t leave empty handed.

The castle is probably the main attraction in CK. The town information centre or your hotel will offer plenty of material on the town itself including tourist maps and guides. But you don’t really need a map to get to the castle. From the town centre just head up the hill and one way or another you will get there. You enter the castle over the moat bridge and on a good day you can spot the castle pets sunning themselves. They are not cats or dogs, but brown bears. What better pet can you pick for a Czech castle? You can wonder around the courtyards and you should definitely have a stroll through the park which I have mentioned above. You can appreciate the architecture and the beautiful surroundings free of charge so make it last - it’s worth it. Before you start strolling for hours on end, check the tour timetable and buy your ticket though. There are only so many tours in foreign language available in a day and so you do not want to miss them as to enter the castle you will need a guide and pay for his services. There are two routes and some additional sights for you to see and pay for. I have listed those at the end of my review as there is quite a lot of boring info there.

You can take a look at Cesky Krumlov from the Tower to which a separate entrance fee is necessary to purchase. It is worth it only during sunny days with good visibility though. Otherwise, you could say, it is just a tower.

To get there; either ask to tourist information or head past the castle car park until you get to dual carriageway. Walk for about a mile away from the castle. You can’t miss this sight. It is well posted and English tours are available.

The castle opening hours according to the web site below: www.castle.ckrumlov.cz
Bookings and reservations (10% additional charge)
Telephone : +420 380 704 721
Fax : +420 380 704 710
Admission fees for pre-reserved groups after operational hours - 100% surcharge
For pre-reserved groups of more than 25 persons (Baroque Theatre - 20 persons), the group leader is admitted free of charge.
Guided tours of castle interiors:

Box office is on II. Castle Courtyard Entrance to tour routes is on III. Castle Courtyard
I. visitor's route to the Český Krumlov Castle : Renaissance and Baroque chambers, Golden Carriage, Mask hall
II. visitor's route to the Český Krumlov Castle : Interiors from the 19th century