Updated: 23/07/2019
It’s not all about Prague in the Czech Republic. Away from the busy traffic and selfie sticks, there’s a small, charming town called Cesky Krumlov. You should do a Cesky Krumlov day trip, because not too many people know about, yet.
With a population of just over 13,000, Cesky Krumlov is engulfed in this small romantic sphere where even the air is sweet to respire.
Everywhere in Cesky Krumlov is photogenic. It feels as if the town is taken straight out from Disney, or maybe it was an inspiration for Disney.
Cesky Krumlov Day Trip - Getting in here
Update 23/07/2019: GoEuro has been changed to Omio
I was only planning to stay in Cesky Krumlov for 1 day but I ended up staying for 3 days — it was too mesmerising not to stay!
If you are running short on time, you can do a day trip to Cesky Krumlov from Prague or even from Germany and Austria as Cesky Krumlov is located near the border to these countries.
Bus is the easiest way to get to Cesky Krumlov from Prague and other cities in the Bohemian region. Use GoEuro to search up the cheapest way to get here. I went with Student Agency because that was the cheapest option that time, thanks to GoEuro for helping me finding the best deal!
Train travel from Prague to Cesky Krumlov is very easy. Again, just use GoEuro to find you the cheapest way to get to Cesky Krumlov. The one that I almost ended up taking was the train by Ceske Drahy. It costs around 10 euros but availability can be scarce during peak season.
Bohemia is a beautiful region to drive around. If you are renting a car, just drive down Route 3 or Route 4 and you be greeted by amazing scenery. The drive is only 2.5 hours. Stop by Hluboka castle if you have some time to spare — it’s on the way and it’s a really beautiful, white castle!
Castle Tower
To maximise your time in Cesky Krumlov, you should arrive as early as you can in the morning.
Start your Cesky Krumlov day trip at one of the viewpoints – the Castle Tower. Get your bearings as you admire the jaw-dropping view of Cesky Krumlov.
The price list and opening hours of the tower is listed here. You can enter the Castle tower for a mere 50 CZK (or 130 CZK if you want to include the Castle Museum during your visit). Students pay less so bring your student card!
There are many things that you can do around here. Don’t miss the bears that are found at the entrance to the castle tower. They are so cute so squeezing into the hordes of tourists will be worth it!
After visiting the castle, go to the garden complex. In winter, the atmosphere is pretty dead. You can’t really spend too much time here. Head straight for lunch!
Lunch
Do you know that you can dine in a medieval tavern in Cesky Krumlov? Krcma v Satlavske Ulici (Tavern in the Dungeons) offers this fantastic experience and you’d be able to sample an authentic medieval feast!
There are a few dining areas in the restaurant but I highly recommend dining at the back area where you can find low, cavernous room.
Expect to wait up to 30 minutes for your food to come out if there are too many customers.
Please get a soup bowl! It’s very Czech and they make it fresh every day. The barbecues here are also divine.
Seminární zahrada
Head to Seminární zahrada to digest all the food that you’ve eaten.
This is a town park located near Hotel Ruze offering one of the best views in Cesky Krumlov. Climb to the roof top and get you camera ready.
If you think that you’re totally in love with Cesky Krumlov after this day trip and don’t wanna leave, stay at Hotel Ruze! It’s one of the best boutique hotels in Cesky Krumlov located INSIDE a beautiful medieval building!
Svornosti Square
Svornosti Square is the heart of Cesky Krumlov, where you can feel the pulse of the whole town here. If you are coming during winter, expect to see a lovely Christmas market. It opens into January.
There’s also a plague column to commemorate a saint who protected the town from a horrible plague. Well, I wasn’t paying much attention when the guide was talking because of the Christmas market!
Stroll along the river
Every single point you stand in Cesky Krumlov is an instagram opportunity.
Since you have travelled high to look at the town with a bird-eye view, it’s time to see how the town looks like from below.
The Vtlava river is a serpent-like river which swims its way through the town. If you have the time, walk the whole stretch. It’s very peaceful and you’re away from (almost) ALL THE TOURISTS.
If you are running low on time, do the stretch from Hotel Dvorak to Hotel Mlyn. Another beautiful viewpoint would be at Mestsky park.
Visit one of the cafés
There are many cafés in this small town. I particularly recommend MLS Crêperie Kájovská — the crêpe is so good! Also, it’s quite cheap, costing 55 – 95 CZK per crêpe. The trdlnik that I have here is much better than the one I had in Prague so make sure you check it out!
Dinner
There’s only 1 dinner place that I can recommend because I have only been to one – Depo. 3 nights in a row, without fail, I went back to Depo because it’s just so good!
They specialises in Czech cuisine so it won’t go wrong if you are in for an authentic Czech fare!
Order fried cheese, goulash and of course the pivo (beer in Czech). The Czech dumplings are seriously so fluffy and airy — if I could I would bring back the recipe!
Where to stay?
If you wanna stay longer than a day trip (wish I am sure you would want to after visiting this place), these are some recommendations!
If you wanna stay cheap, go with Hostel Krumlov House. The location is great, the hospitality is on point and you get to stay in this cute, traditional Czech den!
Feel like pampering yourself? Stay with Hotel Ruze. The decor is out of this world. Even if you are not staying here, just visit it and get some amazing views from the garden.
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Born and raised in Malaysia, Aaron is a medical student who desperately preaches about “Travelling doesn’t have to be expensive” – well, he has a full-on blog about it. When he is free, he checks for the cheapest airfare that would get him out of Australia. Aaron indulges in local cuisine so much that he has to lose some weight before and after he goes travelling.
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