The following Saturday after visiting Kutna Hora, we took a second day trip to Cesky Krumlov. This is a Czech Republic town three hours outside Prague. I have also determined that this is where fairies live.
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| Rose in a rose garden |
It's the most magical city with the Vltava River running through it. I love the Vltava River, but it's even more spectacular when it isn't filled with broken bottles and cigarette butts. It was so hot that we all walked barefoot through the river. I felt like I was back in the South. Nothing cools you down faster than dipping your feet in a river.
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| Hluboka Castle |
Our trip began at the Hluboka Castle, less than an hour outside of Cesky Krumlov. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but the outside was just as beautiful. The first room inside looked like the Deer Garden Pub from Beauty and the Beast (where Gaston hangs out). Antlers were EVERYWHERE and all the interior was wooden. We learned that a lot of the gothic interior was restored to baroque style a few centuries ago at the beginning of the eighteenth century. We saw princess chambers, secret doors, private chapel rooms, and more.
Next we got to Cesky Krumlov for lunch. The vegetarian option was mediocre, but the dessert (a crepe filled with strawberry preserves) reminded me how much I love European food. And like Kutna Hora, I can't complain about a free meal.
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| Bear outside the State Castle |
After lunch we visited the central point of Cesky Krumlov, the State Castle. We were first greeted by bears living in the moat outside. In the castle we saw bear rugs (apparently bears that had to be put down for killing some drunk visitors that wandered into the moat decades ago), golden chariots (literally), and the biggest ballroom ever. The walls were painted with a mix of people in Masquerade costumes. One character was wrapped around the wall to look into a mirror, where his face is painted looking back at him. My favorite room, though, was the library. There were books the size of me, and walls of shelf after shelf filled with books. Again, we weren't allowed to take photos (but I still managed to sneak one in of the library).
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| Library in the State Castle |
We took a very short walking tour of the city afterwards (the guide could tell how tired we were), and then had free time. A fellow CEA student, Hali, and I had crepes and walked into every tourist store we could find. I got a bunch of souvenirs for friends, and had a fantastic time hanging out with someone I usually don't see much.
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| Cesky Krumlov |
Cesky Krumlov was one of the most beautiful parts of the Czech Republic. I've decided I'm going to go live there with the fairies.
