By air
Prague (PRG), ~2.5 h by road
Europe · Czechia
Český Krumlov, Czechia
A castle town on a river bend
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to September — warm
Don't miss
Český Krumlov Castle
The old town
The Egon Schiele Art Centre
The Castle Tower
Things to do
The castle and its gardens
The baroque theatre
River rafting
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Xth-Floor · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Walking shoes
A quieter corner
Rafting the Vltava
Questions travellers ask
How far is Český Krumlov from Prague?
About 2.5 h by road from Prague's airport (PRG).
Which months suit Český Krumlov?
May to September, when it is warm. Bring walking shoes.
What is there to see in Český Krumlov?
The castle and its gardens, the baroque theatre and the Castle Tower, plus the old town and the Egon Schiele Art Centre.
Is there something different to do in Český Krumlov?
Go rafting on the Vltava. Then refuel with trout and Czech dumplings.
About Český Krumlov
- Riverside
Where it is
Český Krumlov is a small town in the South Bohemian region of the Czech Republic, wrapped around a tight bend of the Vltava river in the hilly south of Bohemia, not far from the Austrian border.
History
The castle was founded in the mid-13th century by a branch of the Vítkovci family, the lords of Krumlov, and in 1302 it passed to the Rosenbergs, one of Bohemia's most powerful families, who made the town a Renaissance showpiece. Later owners included the Eggenbergs and, from 1719 until 1947, the Schwarzenbergs, and the historic centre became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.
People
Český Krumlov's people speak Czech; for centuries the town also had a large German-speaking population, who knew it as Krumau. On the weekend of the summer solstice, the Five-Petalled Rose Festival revives the days of the Rosenbergs with costumes, jousting and music.
Known for
- Český Krumlov Castle and its painted tower
- The castle's baroque theatre
- Rafting and canoeing on the Vltava
- Red-roofed medieval lanes
- The Egon Schiele Art Centre
Did you know?
The castle's baroque theatre is one of only a handful of 18th-century theatres in the world that still have their original scenery, props and stage machinery.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.