Cesky Krumlov: It's fairy taley!

Had a student ask me yesterday if "fairy taley" is a word. It's not a real one, I told him, but great minds of the previous millennium and the current one have created words, so why not?

The student was referring to Cesky Krumlov, a UNESCO-approved hamlet in southern Bohemia that boasts, among other things, the second-largest castle in Czech Republic, a majestic garden and a revolving theater where the centrally-located seats rotate.

The Vltava River bends and runs through Cesky Krumlov.

Although I don't have figures to back me up, Cesky Krumlov is either second or close to it when tourists decide to visit Prague and Someplace Else In The Czech Republic (Kutna Hora and Karlstejn are also on the list, but both are short train rides from Prague and are only day trips whereas Cesky Krumlov is four hours by bus). At the risk of using a broad brush, the town seems to have a good reputation with Asian tourists, who were well represented when I visited last summer for five days.

Castle gardens.

As for the locals, Cesky Krumlov appeals to the outdoorsy types. People camp along the river on the outskirts of the city center, and renting boats to row down the Vltava, even from Vyssi Brod near the Austrian border, is a popular activity. Others rent inflatable tubes and float around the city center, while others don't bother with renting anything and just swim in the river, be it near the dam or by the bridge that welcomes people to the historic center. The narrow, winding streets lead to pubs, art galleries, and plentiful ice cream/gelato stalls. And if you'd rather just do nothing, there are plenty of restaurants, including a vegetarian one I frequented twice, with views of the river.

Facebook friends of mine should be able to see more photos here.