We visited South Bohemia in October 2013, and spent two days in the charming town of Ceský Krumlov. I must admit that I have a preference for medieval towns but certainly every visitor will be captivated by this lovely place. Ceský Krumlov is enclosed by a tight bend of the Vltava river giving the old town the character of an island. The townscape is dominated by the castle that towers above the old town. There are wonderful views from the castle tower or the Cloak Bridge or in the reverse direction from the old town up to the castle. The photo shows the multi-storey Cloak Bridge, which connects the castle with the park.

The entire castle complex is open to the public from early morning until late in the evening. The walk through the five courtyards and the park was most atmospheric in the early morning, shortly after sunrise when the fog above the town lifted. The castle was built in several sections from the 14th to the 19th century, the buildings of the main palace are in Renaissance and Baroque style. They are located around the third and fourth courtyard and decorated with well preserved wall paintings. The interior of the palace can be visited on two guided tours, each takes about an hour. However, we skipped this, but I can recommend a tour to the Baroque theatre. The stage and the auditorium are preserved in their original state and have been recently renovated. We also went under the stage to see the machinery for moving the stage settings. And the equipment for "sound effects", such as wind or rain, was demonstrated.

We also visited the Eggenberg brewery, which is also located in the core zone. The tour (every day at 11 a.m.) includes the historic brewery facilities and the more modern filling plant, and of course also a beer tasting. Not bad, the beer tastes well, but parts of the buildings were a bit run down. The guide told us that they are in negotiation with foreign investors, so maybe better times will come again.

Ceský Krumlov has enough to offer to entertain a visitor for two days or even more if you also want to explore the surrounding countryside.