Sidetrippin'
in Southern
Bohemia...
View of Cesky Krumlov.
View of Cesky Krumlov.
View of Ceske Budejovice.
June 15, 2006

This was the Bohemian town that led me to the Czech Republic on this trip. I had read about it several times and curiosity
was getting the better of me. But would it live up to the hype? Would it meet my expectations? The answer to both is a huge
‘yes’.

As the bus pulled into town, I couldn’t wait to explore. I had caught just a brief glimpse of the rooftops from the road but had
yet to see everything that it had in store.   

As I descended down into the town, I literally could not wipe the smile off of my face. I felt like I was in a fairy-tale.
Was this
town for real?

There were definitely other people here but it wasn’t swarming with tourists by any means. That was surprising to me
considering the time of year and the praise that Rick Steves gives this town.

My Lonely Planet book compared this town to a mini-Prague...though I have to disagree with that comparison. It’s a shame
not many people have been to the small town of Annecy in France because that is what this reminded me of. Also a little bit of
Bruges in Belgium. So I would say it’s a combination of Annecy and Bruges with a Bohemian style. How’s
that for a
comparison? Truth be told, it’s not a comparable town. It’s small, quaint, inviting, beautiful…all of these wrapped up into one
small package that is Cesky Krumlov.

The storefronts were absolutely precious. That’s the only word I can use to describe them. Shades of pinks, oranges, yellows,
greens and blues covered the town. The colors were vivid yet muted.

The top of the tower on the hill near the castle offered amazing views of not only the town, but also the Sumava Mountains in
the background. This mountain range separates Bohemia from Bavaria and Austria.

I took the bus back to Ceske Budejovice and spent a couple of hours wandering around before taking the train back to Prague.
This city is the home of something that all of us Americans know very well. It is called ‘Budvar’. Or as this translates into
English…Budweiser. The city of Ceske Budejovice was originally called ‘Budweis’. Am I the only person that had no idea that
this started off as a Czech beer? It wouldn’t be surprising due to my lack of beer appreciation. I don’t blame myself for this; I
blame my taste buds for never acquiring the taste. In any case, I thought that was a fun little fact. The actual city isn’t too
exciting. It pretty much consists of one large square with a fountain in the center and streets (with not too much to offer)
branching out from there.

My day was really just made for Cesky Krumlov and it was definitely the worth the trip out there. I would encourage this
town to anybody who is visiting Prague. I would love to go and stay overnight as many of the hotels looked so quaint and
charming. My seal of approval is the fact that I would definitely go back—I don’t say that often about a place.
Back to Czech Republic.