At the beginning of 2020, my husband and I embarked on a 7-day road trip through Central Europe. After spending 2 days in Prague, 2 days in Budapest, and 1 day in Hallstatt, Austria, we headed back into the Czech Republic to spend one night in Cesky Krumlov.
Our last stop before arriving back in Prague was the quaint and charming town of Cesky Krumlov. With Czech Republic’s second largest castle (after Prague Castle) and a moat filled not with water, but with bears – this whimsical town is not to be missed. Here’s your guide to the cutest European town you’ve never heard of: Cesky Krumlov.
Where to stay in Cesky Krumlov?
I can’t speak highly enough of our hotel: Hotel Růže. This 5 star hotel was not only gorgeous but extremely comfortable, affordable, and teeming with history.
The hotel was built as a Jesuit College in 1584 by William of Roseburg. The Jesuit order was cancelled by Pope Clement XIV in 1773, and the College was transferred to military administration. The building was used as military barracks until 1887. In 1889, the building was transformed into a hotel that survived for a short while before being occupied by German Nazis in 1938.
The building was restored in 1999 after being abandoned for 50 years. Today the building is a 5 star hotel within walking distance to everything in town.
The hotel is across the Vltava River from the castle and we woke up to views of orange capped Baroque style buildings. The walls of the hallways are covered in gorgeous paintings. The hotel breakfast we ate in the morning was delicious. The entire hotel including our room was ornately decorated and the toilet was even an actual throne! I highly recommend staying here on your trip to Cesky Krumlov. The hotel was around $100 per night.
Where to eat in Cesky Krumlov?
Since we arrived into town at night, we walked to dinner and saved the rest of the exploring for the next morning. We walked through cobblestone streets and grabbed food at Le Jardin, an upscale European restaurant. Kyle got the duck leg confit and I opted for something less traditional and got the lasagna. Both were delicious! The restaurant was lovely and the wine was great.
What to do in Cesky Krumlov?
After our lovely charcuterie style breakfast, we walked through the town and toured the castle. The castle is situated on a hill and offers amazing views of the river and town below. Our favorite part was the bear moat surrounding the castle.
After touring the castle, we explored several shops in town before grabbing a beer next to the river. At this point we felt we had quite fully explored the town and were ready to hit the road back to Prague where we would fly back to the US the next day.
I highly recommend a day in Cesky Krumlov. The town was so affordable and extremely charming. No need to stay for more than one day or night. I recommend either driving or taking the 2 hour bus ride into town from Prague.
Basic Czech Phrases
It will be helpful to learn these basic Czech phrases:
- Prosím (pro-seem) = Possibly the most useful word in Czech. It means: 1) Please, 2) Here you are, 3) You’re welcome, 4) What did you say?, 5) I’ll have … and can generally be used in times of doubt.
- Děkuju (dyeh-kooyoo) = Thank you
- Ano (ah-noh) = Yes. Ano is often shortened to no, sometimes resulting in cross-language confusion.
- Ne (neh) = No. Fairly straightforward and direct.
- Dobrý den (dob-ree den) = Hello, Good afternoon.
- Nashledanou (nus-hle-dah-no) Good bye.
- Ahoj (ah-hoy) = Hi. or Bye. Much like Aloha this word can be used both when meeting and leaving. You will often hear Czechs saying hi while waving you goodbye. Čau is another informal equivalent.
- Kde je toaleta? (kdeh yeh toh-ah-le-ta) Where is the bathroom? Obviously useful but getting you into the realm of phrases where you need to understand the answer.
- Kolik to stojí? (koh-leek toh stoh-yee) How much is it? Ditto.
Hope you enjoyed! Na’zdravi! (cheers!)
Read about the other stops on our Eastern European Road Trip: Prague, Budapest, and Hallstatt.