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What would a fairytale village be without a castle? Just another town, and Cesky Krumlov is anything but. With their larger than life castle dominating the small village’s skyline, it comes in as the second largest in the entire Czech Republic, behind the complex in the capital city of Prague.
Exploring the Cesky Krumlov Castle
Construction of the castle began in the early 13th century. Over the years it was passed between the powerful Rosenberg, Eggenberg, and Schwarzenberg families, before its final transfer to the Czechoslovak State in 1950, where it later became a monument in 1989.
Access the castle through its red gate, located on Latrán Street and enter into the first courtyard Rejdiště, or ‘romping ground’. Here is where Sam got to experience the trade of blacksmithing!
Bears have lived in the moat of the castle since 1707. The last Rosenberg rulers kept bears to demonstrate their relationship with the house of Orsini (a noble Italian family). Orsa means she-bear in Italian.
There are five courtyards within the Cesky Krumlov castle complex. The present-day second courtyard includes what was once known as ‘Lower Castle’ (which consisted of ‘Little Castle’ and the tower, a mint, and dairy house).
The castle’s most notable feature, its tower, was built in Gothic style in the second half of the 13th century and remodeled in Renaissance style in the late 1500s.
Visitors can climb the winding stairs leading to the observation platform for incredible views over this fairytale village (included in the Cesky Krumlov card).
With good weather on your side, you’ll be able to see the entire village and its colorful rooftops, the steeple of St. Vitus church, the river meandering through town, and the rolling hills beyond. (Did you know that you can actually raft down this winding river?! We really enjoyed seeing the town from a different perspective.)
Once you are satisfied with the images your camera has captured, head back downstairs to the Castle Museum to learn about the various noble houses who resided in and transformed the castle over the centuries.
With various rooms to explore, you will quickly become deeply immersed in the fascinating history held within the castle walls. There are multilingual descriptions of the artwork and artifacts found in each room.
Select the paper with your language and get transported back to another era when family crests were all the rage, lavish was the norm, and new innovations were taking place on the daily.
Once you’ve completed your informative journey through history, continue on through the remaining courtyards…
… take an informative castle tour…
… or venture into the elaborate gardens.
Interested in more captivating castle images, including a detailed look at the gardens? Click HERE. We’ll also show you a somewhat hidden spot where you can enjoy a deliciously cold beer and enjoy even more incredible village views!
We’d like to thank the Cesky Krumlov Tourism Board for providing us with an extremely informative city tour and a Cesky Krumlov card during our stay.