*A walk around the south Bohemian town of Český Krumlov, a UNESCO World Heritage site: 7 km*

• The south Bohemian town of Český Krumlov is definitely not an undiscovered gem, hidden away in the far south of Bohemia. In fact, it is the second most visited tourist destination in the country, after Prague. Yet despite its crowded streets, Český Krumlov remains a ‘must see’ destination for its remarkably well-preserved historic center. It is also a good base for walkers wanting to explore the varied and scenic south Bohemian landscape.
• Although the favorable site on a bend in the river Vltava has been occupied since at least the Bronze Age, Český Krumlov was founded as a town during the 13th century, by the noble Vítkovci family. The Vítkovci line became extinct at the beginning of the 14th century and the town was ceded to the Rožmberk family, who made Český Krumlov their principal seat.
• It was during the three-hundred-year period of ownership by the Rožmberks (who became the most powerful family in south Bohemia during this time) that Český Krumlov acquired its magnificent Gothic and Renaissance appearance.
• Unlike similar Bohemian towns which were severely impacted by war and fire damage between the 14th and 19th centuries, Český Krumlov remained relatively unscathed. As a result, the town is regarded as having one of the best-preserved medieval centers anywhere in Central Europe. Český Krumlov was inscribed in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in 1992.
• Most people visiting the town will already have some idea of the main attractions (but here is a link to a simple guide). Hopefully, it should suffice to provide a suggested route for a walk around the main highlights. The route shown starts and finishes at the train station. If driving, it is necessary to park in one of the paid areas outside the town center. These can get full at peak periods. Parking Area 1 (map point 2) is probably the most convenient but tends to fill up first!
• There is no particular logic to the route plan, so it can be done in either direction. The route visits the three main historical areas in town: Latrán (on the north side of the river), the Inner town (inside the horseshoe bend of the river) and Plešivec (on the south side of the river). Take the take to explore the different courtyards in the castle complex as well as the attractive castle gardens (map points 9 and 10)
• The suggested route is around 7 km long, with just under 200m of height to ascend/descend. The route should be manageable with a stroller but note that there are long sections on cobbles and some steps to navigate. At the time of writing (April 2024) Lazebnický most is shown as closed on mapy.cz. It is, however, now accessible to pedestrians. It should fully reopen in May 2024.
• There are many excellent refreshment options from fine dining to street food and multiple cafés. It is a challenge to provide a couple of recommendations, especially as places open and close quite frequently in Český Krumlov. However, for a nice unpretentious coffee shop at the end of the route, try Kavárna Nonsolocaffé (map point 14).

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’  to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.

Directions

• As there are few marked hiking trails in the main tourist areas in Český Krumlov, it is a challenge to provide street bz street route guidance! It is probably best to follow the suggested route using the mapy.cz phone application or a good street map!