Cesky Krumlov

Something about the trip to Cesky Krumlov made me feel like we were really far away from home. Perhaps it was the 45 minutes we spent in the Ceske Budejovice train station, waiting for our connecting train.

It was one of those “Where am I moments” particularly enhanced because I wasn’t sure how to pronounce the name of the city that I was momentarily visiting. Perhaps it was the small three car train which clearly indicated the remoteness of our final destination. Perhaps it was a realization of just how many miles we’ve traveled via train on this trip. Or perhaps it was the teeny tiny Czech towns we passed through on our incredibly scenic trip to Cesky Krumlov.

Even though we had already gone as far East as our trip would take us and Cesky Krumlov was actually “closer” to home, I felt really far away once we had arrived. Jacob and I had opted to take the “scenic route” and walk down the hill to our hostel, the Krumlov House.
It’s clear why so many tourists flock to Cesky Krumlov—it’s a beautiful town, so wonderful that the entire town is considered a Unesco World Heritage site.

Pretty great right? Now imagine the feel and scent of a cool fall day. Now add the wonderful smell of a woodburning fireplace. Now multiply that fireplace by an entire town, and you’ve got pretty much the coziest town ever. Our hostel, the Krumlov House, totally embodied that coziness too. Friendly staff and other travelers, warm lighting, and natural wood interiors, this hostel was a real treat to stay in.

By the time we got settled, it was already dark. We were quite hungry, so we headed to a hostel recommended restaurant Il Nonna and had some pizza. It was delicious—some of the best we’ve had on our travels. After dinner we walked around a bit checking out the town at night—the views were quite stunning.

After a drink in a cave-like cocktail bar, we headed back for some shut eye.
The hostel had recommended a place for breakfast—Hospoda 99—so we decided we’d check it out. After much confusion, we eventually found the place-- only to find that they had switched to their lunch menu. So I guess we ate a burger brunch.

Unfortunately it was raining when we left Hospoda 99. But would that stop us from walking around and exploring the Cesky Krumlov Castle? No way! We hiked up to the castle, ducking and hiding under covered passage ways and archways to snap some spectacular views of the town.

We were pretty soaked after our castle exploration, so we headed back to our cozy room to warm up and try to catch up on some blogging.

For dinner, we checked out Two Mary’s. Billed as a medieval Czech cuisine, this was quite a bit different than most of the Czech food we’ve eaten so far. According to the menu, it was "Old-time Bohemian" food that hearkened back to the food they ate in the region many centuries ago. I had garlic soup and cheese bread that left something to be desired. Jacob had better luck with his “bohemian feast,” a dish that included many items on the menu. It was a nice space, but we weren’t too big on the music they were playing. That’s okay though—it was a fun dinner and the beer was great. Coincidentally, a couple from Tasmania who were also staying at the Krumlov house stopped in for a drink, so we chatted with them for a few minutes. They have been traveling for 9 months! Impressive!

We had to be up and out early the next day to get to Munich at a reasonable hour, so we headed back to get everything in order. Though it definitely is quite touristy, I’d highly recommend a visit to Cesky Krumlov. Beautiful, friendly, and most importantly—cozy! :)