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Cesky Krumlov Castle

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Amanda
Amanda
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Krumlov Castle

  • May 8, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by bledpub from Waco, Kentucky
Krumlov Castle

In 1963, Krumlov was declared a Municipal Preserve, partly because of the great preservation of the castle, and in 1989 the castle became a National Monument. The castle area is one of the largest in central Europe. (You'll agree once you start walking around.) It is a complex of 40 buildings & palaces, situated around five castle courts and a castle park spanning an area of 7 hectares.

from the castle website: The original Gothic castle was founded by the Lords of Krumlov before 1250. They represented a branch of the powerful family of the Witigonen with the five-petalled rose in their coat-of-arms. When the Lords of Krumlov died out in 1302, their relatives the Rosenbergs inherited the castle. The Rosenbergs family had their seat there up till 1602. Their name as well as the three centuries of their rule is connected with the greatest era of flourish of the town and castle. In the second half of the 16th century the castle acquired the form of a mighty and splendid Renaissance residence. At that time the rulers of the Rosenberg dominion represented eminent personalities among Bohemian aristocracy, educated humanists, patrons of the culture and arts, and prominent politicians all filling the highest posts within Bohemian Kingdom.

Whether or not you pay to go on one of the English speaking guided tours, you should still take the time to walk through the castle. There are some great views of the town from up there. One word of warning, however: we were up there in January and liked to have slid all the way back down on the ice. It was extremely slippery.

From journal Cesky Krumlov

Editor Pick

Cesky Krumlov Castle

Cesky Krumlov Castle

I have seen a few painted castles in my time. Dublin castle is coated with bright primary hues. The castle in Riga is a cheerful canary yellow. But Cesky Krumlov has the only "illustrated" castle I've ever seen.

What do I mean by "illustrated"? Well, it looks like a set designer has been let loose with a box of stencils and children's pastel crayons. The outer walls and inner courtyards are painted with a sunny yellow hatching, designed to give the impression of three-dimensional brickwork. False 'apses' and 'alcoves' hold 'statues' and 'urns' - all painted directly onto the walls. All the surfaces are similarly muralled. And the castle's crowning feature, the tall round tower with its balconies is picked out in pretty pastel pink, with a graceful copper-green cupola. It looks like nothing more than a fairground helter-skelter.

The castle is open from April until October - though as with most state attractions in the Czech Republic it is closed on Mondays. Visiting in March, this meant that I found it 'closed'. What this meant in practice was that there were no guided tours around the interior of the castle which was a shame. However, I note from the town's website (www.ckrumlov.cz/uk/zamek) that foreigners are charged more than Czech nationals, a habit that always slightly annoys me - the two tours would be 100 and 80 CK respectively for Czechs and 160/140 for foreign tourists. Likewise it was disappointing that I could not climb the tower (35CK). However, as the highlight of what is already a stunning town there is still plenty to see, even in the off-season.

Entering the castle you pass over a moat. Sitting atop a crag, filling the moat with water would obviously have been a logistical nightmare. So instead, from the 16th-century onwards, the Medvedi Prikop has been guarded by bears. (I'm not entirely sure what I feel about this - the sole inhabitant ambled about with sad eyes ignoring the visitors above.)

Inside you can progress through the frescoed courtyards, and across a colonnaded passageway with great views over the town past its saintly statues (it is only from the town below that you can appreciate the stacked tiers of arches that support this pathway). Across here there are the formal gardens and fountains. And at the back one very curious feature - a tall skeletal rack of theatre seating facing a pastel pink summerhouse composed of levels of curving staircases, balconies, grottoes, and French windows. However I gather that this outdoor theatre has one further surprise - it revolves! The seating swivels around to face a meadow, allowing a change in scenery. Personally I think it is a disgrace that the British Council haven't put on a summer production of 'Much Ado About Nothing' here yet!

With its ornate decorations and ursine guardian the castle is like something out of a fairy-tale. It has to be seen to be believed. Even 'closed' it is one of the greatest sights in Bohemia!

From journal Bohemian Rhapsody

Editor Pick

State Castle and Chateau

State Castle and Chateau

This is the highlight of this ancient medieval town and by far the most popular place visited...unfortunately often with long lines.

The dominating feature of Cesky Krumlov is the ground of the Castle and Chateau. The so-called "little castle" with massive cylindrical towers is the oldest part of thesae buildings...going back to the 13th century founded by Vitek of Krumlov. According to history, Peter of Rosenberg had a bigger castle built on this land, so-called the Upper Castle, which was used as a seat of rulers. The biggest building activities took place during the successful reign of William of Rosenberg who changed the castle into an exquisite seat.

You can spend an hour looking at the exterior of the castle...my photo does not do justice to this work of art so I have also included a drawing with more detail.

At the top there is a clock with four russet bust of Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and twelve masks of zodiac.

The belfry contains four bells.

In the ground floor of the tower was a dungeon where many were imprisoned.

Inside, don't miss the massive ballroom and the Chapel of St. George...and do walk across the bridge that connects the castle and the castle theatre.

The remarkable Castle Garden was created at the end of the 17th century, taking five years to complete. The eastern part of the garden is being kept in French park style...here you can see rich geometrical figures made out of bushes and flowers. See Cascading Fountain which adds to the beauty of this place.

From journal Cesky Krumlov-A Treasure to Behold and Experience

Editor Pick

Cesky Krumlov Castle

  • December 12, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by mfs from Sea Girt, New Jersey
Cesky Krumlov Castle

The castle dominates the little town of Cesky Krumlov, and is fascinating in so many ways. First off, the building itself is an imposing structure, built into rocks that jut up from the Vlatava, which flows peacefully hundreds of feet below. The castle is composed of several large buildings and many smaller ones: the Upper Castle; Lower Castle (which includes the stunning frescoed tower that looms over the town); New Burgomaster's House; and the Minthouse among them. The first buildings were erected in the mid-1200s by the Vitek family, one of the oldest and most important Czech noble families. In the 1300s, the castle was taken over and added to by the Rozmberks, and various additions were made up through the 1700s by the Schwarzenberg Family, who owned it till the Gestapo confiscated the property in 1940. The castle and town were listed as World Heritage sites in 1992.

The castle is in great shape and is painstakingly cared for. Just walking around the grounds is a treat. We were there in May `99 and saw few people (save for the occasional tour bus filled with Austrian and German pensioners - but they never stayed long). We read in the castle gardens and relaxed in the courtyards. It is a very peaceful place.

Getting into the castle can be tricky - there are several tours offered each day, but the tour administrators seem to change the times and languages to suit their own preferences. Check ahead for when a tour in your language will be offered so that you are not disappointed.

A climb to the top of the castle's beautifully frescoed bell tower is a must - the views of the town and surrounding areas are breathtaking! For a small fee, you can climb the tower and spend as much time as you want up there - bring a camera and/or sketchbook!

We also loved the bears - a bear pit is located under the main drawbridge entrance to the castle, and has been continuously inhabited by bears since about 1700. I was worried about the bear's health and happiness, but they were very robust and animated, appeared healthy and were playful (not jittery like some animals in captivity), so I felt better about them being down there. The castle has an official bear-keeper who cares for current bear pit residents Vok and Katerina, and their(enormous) cubs Daxi and Hubert. They are adorable.

From journal Cesky Krumlov - A Medieval Dream

Editor Pick

Castle

  • September 12, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Amanda from London, United Kingdom
The guided tours of the castle are good, I recommend them. You get to know a lot about the place that you wouldn't by going around alone. There are two main areas of the castle. The first is the medieval one, showing you the parts of the castle that were built in the 13th and 14th centuries. The best part of this is climbing the perfect round tower, which has great views over the town, but rather steep steps! The second group is the 18th and 19th century parts, decorated lavishly and laiden with painting and furniture. The ballroom is great - the decoration is a frieze of people at a ball! The drawing room is also a particularly fine sight.

From journal Medieval Czechia

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