Best Things to Do in Cesky Krumlov with Just One Day

Spending one day
in Cesky Krumlov was one of our best experiences in Czech Republic. Český Krumlov
is very much like a miniature Prague. It’s nestled on the Vltava River and has
a beautiful castle and spacious town square. It’s easy to get from Prague to Cesky
Krumlov and there are so many things to do in Cesky Krumlov that it’s
absolutely worth a visit.

Ever since we
started planning our summer trip to Prague and Budapest, I wanted to visit this
special town but, I’ll be honest, I was concerned because I had read so much
about the overwhelming number of tourists that visit Český Krumlov in the
summer. I was not looking forward to shoulder to shoulder crowds.

Despite the concerns, I researched and learned that the best time to visit Český Krumlov is in the morning and at night, after the day trip visitors have left. And I really wanted to visit so we decided to stay overnight. In retrospect, I don’t regret it for a second. Český Krumlov was everything I had hoped and dreamed of. It captured all our hearts and I would love to return for another night or two. It should definitely be on your Czech Republic bucket list!

Note: Sydney wrote her own post detailing Cesky Krumlov from a teen’s point of view. Check it out!

Transfer from Prague to Cesky Krumlov

We left Prague early in the morning with Martin’s Transfer Taxi . We spent our morning in Tabor and arrived for our one day in Cesky Krumlov by noon. Cesky Krumlov is in south Bohemia region of the Czech Republic and approximately 3 hours from Prague or 1.5 hours from Tabor.

Just as a side note, many people ask how to travel from Prague to Cesky Krumlov. I would highly recommend Martin’s Transfer Taxi. Our driver arrived on time, was patient and had fun with the kids. It was a great way to travel the 3 hour distance. He also returned the following day to bring us to Budapest. Fantastic transfer!!

Our driver
couldn’t enter the pedestrian only town square area of Cesky Krumlov so left us
and our luggage at the entrance to the town. It was a short but beautiful walk
down the cobblestone street before we arrived at the town square near where our
apartment for the night was located.

Our Amazing Cesky Krumlov Family Apartment

While there are
several hotels to choose from in Český Krumlov, as a family of five we decided
to book an apartment instead.

We checked in to the Castle View Apartments a bit early so we left our luggage, went for lunch and returned to check in before our walking tour. The Castle View Apartments were perfect for our one day stop as it is close to all the main things to do in Cesky Krumlov.

We had booked the
ground floor castle view room. I had been hesitant since we don’t generally
like ground floor rooms but this location was unique. While it was on the ground
floor from the front, it was 1^st floor on the back and we had an
amazing balcony with a beautiful view of Český Krumlov castle tower.  

The location of
Castle View Apartments cannot be beat. It’s two minutes from the old town main
square which makes it close to any of the places we visited in Cesky Krumlov. We
returned a few times during our day in Cesky Krumlov to rest or freshen up
because it was so close to everything.

The apartment had two
bedrooms, one with a double bed and one with two singles, as well as a double
pull out couch so everyone had a wonderful place to sleep and the kids each had
their own bed.

Two Wonderful Cesky Krumlov Restaurants

With only one day
in Cesky Krumlov, aside from breakfast, we only had the chance to eat at two
local restaurants. We were unsure what to expect due to the tourist nature of
Cesky Krumlov but we did not need to worry. Both restaurants were superb!

Lunch: Papa’s Living Restaurant

After leaving our luggage at our apartment, we had just enough time for lunch before our walking tour. On the way to Papa’s Living Restaurant (we had booked reservations from home) we wandered through the historic square, enjoyed the narrow cobblestone streets and enjoyed a quick stop on the bridge crossing the Vltava River. Honestly, one of my favourite things to do in Cesky Krumlov was simply wandering. My first thought was that it was much less crowded than Prague. I was so surprised!

When we arrived at
Papa’s there was a large crowd outside. Thankfully we had a reservation and were
able to bypass the crowd. As requested, we had a table outside on the edge of
the beautiful Vlatava River. It was a wonderful location and such a relaxing
lunch after the busy start to our day. The food was delicious!

While it’s classed
as a Czech/Italian restaurant we all opted to have Italian for a change. The
pasta was fantastic. I had the spaghetti with ham, Sydney enjoyed her
tagliatelle with salmon and Lucas had some wonderful spaghetti carbonara. John
and Caiden both ordered pizzas which were fantastic.

Dinner: Restaurant Jakub

After spending our day exploring the wonderful things to do in Cesky Krumlov, we visited Restaurant Jakub for dinner.

While it may be viewed by some as being a bit high end, we thoroughly enjoyed our outdoor table. The food was delicious, the service was wonderful and we enjoyed our meal while watching the people out for their evening walks.

John and I really
enjoyed the perch, Lucas had beef cheeks and Sydney and Caiden loved their
Caesar salads.

As with Papa’s
Living Restaurant, we definitely recommend making reservations in advance.

A Bit of Cesky Krumlov History

I found the
history of this amazing town so interesting. Even though we only had one day in
Cesky Krumlov, I found it really helpful to know a little history in advance of
our visit. I thought I’d share some before talking about our walking tour and
the remaining activities we enjoyed with our one day in Cesky Krumlov.

Cesky Krumlov has
existed for thousands of years but it remained very small until King Wenceslas
gave the aristocratic Rosenberg family the Krumlov castle and estates in the
14th century. Krumlov castle became the main residence of the Rosenberg family
for over 300 years and trade and business flourished and with it, the town
flourished.

At one time some
of the richest aristocrats in the Czech Republic were members of the Rosenberg
family. The Rosenbergs are responsible for the architecture that exists today
in Cesky Krumlov.  You’ll see the
five-petal rose which is found on the crest of the Rosenberg family throughout
Cesky Krumlov as it has become the symbol of the town. You’ll even see it on
the manhole covers!

The last of the
Rosenbergs lived in Cesky Krumlov castle in the 1600s when it was briefly owned
by the Habsburgs, the Eggenberg family and in the 18th century, the
Schwarzenberg family. It’s the Schwarzenberg family who occupied the castle until
the 20th century.

In 1938 Cesky
Krumlov was annexed by the German army but the town was spared fighting and
bombardment so it remains as beautiful as it was in the 19th century.

Cesky Krumlov had,
throughout history, many German inhabitants but after World War II the German people
were expelled and Cesky Krumlov was returned to Czechoslovakia. During the
Communist period Cesky Krumlov fell into disrepair like many Czech cities but
since 1989, the end of Communism, the beauty of Cesky Krumlov has returned and
its’ historic center was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 1992.

While already knowing
some of this amazing history, it was incredible to hear the stories and see the
sights as told and shown by the guide on our walking tour. Whether you take a
free walking tour or hire a guide,such as we did, we highly recommend that you
explore part of Cesky Krumlov with a guide.

Best Things
to do in Cesky Krumlov in One Day

Walking Tour with Krumlov Tours

Katalina, our guide from Krumlov Tours, made it on our list of the best guides in Europe so that will already give you an idea of how much we enjoyed our walking tour.

Our two-hour tour started at our apartment and proceeded to a beautiful look out towards the castle.

As we wandered towards St. Vitus Cathedral, we saw beautiful sgraffito buildings. Katalina told us stories of the church, the prelate’s residence (now the local library) and stories of the Rosenberg family. 

St. Vitus
Cathedral, while being as beautiful as its namesake in Prague, is much smaller.
The tombs of Wilhelm of Rosenberg and his third wife can be found inside.

En route to the
castle, we wandered the historic streets as Katalina explained the history of
Cesky Krumlov, stories of its former inhabitants, and the impact of communism
on the town. 

Krumlov Castle

Krumlov Castle, the second largest castle in the Czech Republic, was our next stop. We had wonderful views of the colourful castle tower as we made our way to the main castle gates. You can truly see the castle tower from almost anywhere in Cesky Krumlov.

We decided to explore the castle grounds first with the thought of visiting the castle interiors if we had time. You may want to do the same.

As you arrive at
the castle, you’ll notice bears in the moat after the first courtyard. Bears
have been kept in the moat since the early 1700s. It was recently reconstructed
to improve the living conditions of the bears including the addition of a
lagoon, modeled green hills (where the bears can hide if they wish), waterfall,
and more. That said, this is a very small area for these beautiful animals and
there is a strong movement afoot to have them moved to a better environment.

Beyond the courtyards, you’ll find a beautiful look out area over Cesky Krumlov.

The castle gardens are just beautiful. We could have easily spent hours here but we really wanted to climb the castle tower before it closed so we wandered slowly back towards the entrance.

We left Katalina at this point and explored the gardens on our own and wandered back to the castle with plans to climb the tower.

If you have time, this is a ‘must do’ attraction/thing to do in Cesky Krumlov. The incredible views from the top of the castle tower cannot be beat.

So I just have to point these out. We didn’t notice them from ground level but look at the chimneys/vents from the top of the buildings in the castle courtyard. These are so unique! Such detail!

Admission to the tower also includes the castle museum. You should check prices and hours of operation for the Krumlov Castle for up to date information. We loved that they also have a family rate that includes up to three children!!

Unfortunately, we
didn’t take the time to explore the interior of the castle. We will absolutely
return one day to visit as it has such an amazing history.

After visiting the
castle area, you’re free to explore.

Note: We recommend that with or without a guide, you
visit the castle and gardens before wandering too much because you don’t want
to miss the opening hours.

Wandering the Cobblestone Streets of Cesky Krumlov

You have to save
at least an hour of your one day in Cesky Krumlov to explore the streets of
this beautiful town. Look through store windows, drop into a few, sit with a
coffee and people watch, wander the river front and enjoy the amazing castle
tower from as many viewpoints as you can find. Cesky Krumlov is truly a fairy
tale village!

The boys returned
to our apartment for a break while Sydney and I explored. We slowly wandered
the cobblestone streets and enjoyed the little things that make Cesky Krumlov
so beautiful … the historic doors, the beautiful array of colours, the
intricate door knockers and so much more.

            Moldovite Museum

We stopped in to a
small Moldavite museum and jewelry shop. Sydney fell in love with the beautiful
stone and chose a pendant as one of her souvenirs.

            Czech Puppets and Wine

As we wandered, we walked past such an unusual shop that we had to drop in. It sold puppets and wine! Yes, both!

On the main level they sold handmade puppets (which incidentally gave Sydney quite a fright as we entered). On the bottom level was an amazing wine cellar. John and I both enjoy red wine and the owner was fantastic. He told us all about the wines from South  Bohemia and recommended two nice wines to purchase. It’s too bad that John missed it.

            Local Museums in Cesky Krumlov

If you’d like to
continue exploring, definitely consider checking out the Krumlov Regional
Museum, the Museum Fotoatelier Seidel (Seidel Photography Museum) or the Egon
Schiele Art Centrum.

We returned to the
apartment to sit on our balcony for a rest before heading out for dinner. John
and I enjoyed some Czech wine while Sydney enjoyed experimenting with her
camera.

Take An Evening Stroll

After dinner, our full family wandered the streets again. The historic center really is small but the difference between an afternoon walk and an evening walk is unbelievable. I’m so glad we decided to stay over night. In the evening, the streets are empty and the buildings glow.

With most tourist buses having left, the town feels like a real town with people out for an evening walk.

The view from our amazing apartment was even better as the night unfolded. The colours of the castle tower glowed in the distance as we enjoyed our only night in Cesky Krumlov.

Take A Morning Stroll

Our driver for our transfer to Budapest (the same driver as our transfer from Prague to Cesky Krumlov) was returning to pick us up the next morning at 10:30am so we awoke early to enjoy wandering the streets before the buses arrived with groups of tourists. The town was so lovely in the early morning with so few people visible. We took a slow walk around Cesky Krumlov before breakfast, saying good bye until next time. It was so beautifully peaceful.

Since most people who spend some time in Cesky Krumlov also visit Prague, you might also be interested in reading about our favourite things to see and do in Prague, our 3 day itinerary in Prague, our favourite Czech foods and Prague restaurants and our review of an amazing family apartment in Prague.

Don’t forget to pin it!