Goodnight and Go: The charming little Cesky Krumlov

Monday, 10 Okt 2011, day 5 in Czech Rep

I have a little something to share about this city, wait, kenapa tiba-tiba pake english ya? well, because the story I'm about to tell is copied from the guide book. Hehe. Too lazy to translate but I just wanna share..

Cesky Krumlov, a town populated by 14,000 inhabitants, and Prague are the most frequemtly visited urban reservations in the Czech Republic. In 1992, this little town in South Bohemia was one of the very first Czech monuments included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Similiarly to Prague, the historic center of Krumlov is situated on the Vltava River. While charming, primeval town that has never lost its medieval character is stretched on one bank, the other bank is dominated by a magnificent castle and chateau seated on a huge rock. While enjoying the impressive panoramic views. it would be no surprise for many of you to learn that in 2008 the prestigious National Geographic magazine classified this locality as the 16th most beautiful site in the world.

When introducing the highlights of Krumlov, we have to mention the extensive castle premises. After Prague Castle, the residence of Czech Kings. the castle and chateau in Cesky Krumlov is the 2nd largest noble residence in the Czech Rep. The astounding feudal residence clearly demonstrates a very important rule of this country. From the 15th through 20th centuries, it was a matter of fact in Bohemia that the noblement who possessed Krumlov was the wealthiest one in the kingdom. The wealth of Krumov nobility is demonstrated by the castle interiors. Beginning from 2011 a part of them will be open to the public all year round. The most intensive development period of this South Bohemian aristocratic residence was the Renaissance and Baroque era (16th-18th centuries). Every year, the famous Cesky Krumlov is brought back to life by the end of June. On the occasion of the Five-Petaled Rose Celebrations, spectacular parades are held in town and in the castle and crowd of people wearing historic costumes of the noblemen, courtiers, and townspeople are everywhere. The lane bustle with traditional fairs, music and joy. The celebrations were grandiose in 2009 as it was precisely 700 hundred years since Krumlov was first mentioned as a town. The picturesque houses previously occupied by local townsfolk are now guest houses, galleries, museums, little shops and various themed pubs. The magic of Cesky Krumlov is accentuated by the fact that the little town is situated in the charming South Bohemian landscape under the Sumava Mountains, at the foot hills of the Blansky Forest.
(Source: Cesky Krumlov City and Chateau Guide, 2010 www.VisitCeskyKrumlov.cz)

The Two Towers

Saya menghabiskan satu hari di Cesky Krumlov, sebuah kota kecil yang berada di selatan Rep Ceko. Lama perjalanan dari Praha adalah 3 jam dengan bus dari student agency. Busnya lumayan bagus dan menyediakan minuman hangat dan snek. Cesky Krumlov benar-benar kota yang sangat imut, bahkan ini adalah kota terimut yang pernah saya datangi di Eropa. Cuaca hari itu sedang sangat tidak bersahabat karena gerimis sepanjang hari. Begitu sampai saya langusng mencari pusat informasi turis dan saya membeli sebuah guidebook. Di situ banyak juga ditawarkan guided tour, tapi karena harganya agak mahal saya memutuskan untuk melakukan tour sendiri dengan panduan dari guidebook. Setelah itu saya mampir di sebuah kafe untuk sarapan, minum kopi sambil membaca guidebook. Ternyata walaupun kastil tutup setiap hari senin kita masih bisa mengunjungi area kastil itu namun tidak bisa masuk ke dalam banguannya. Semua yang penting yang ada di kota ini bisa dicapai dengan berjalan kaki, bahkan saya sampai takjub saking kecilnya beberapa kali saya melewati tempat yang sama sebelumnya, sampai tidak percaya dengan imutnya kota ini. Peta juga cukup sederhana dan mudah diikuti.

City map yang pakai foto udara

Attraction list

Berada di Cesky Krumlov seakan berada di negeri impian. Sebenarnya agak mirip dengan Praha, sama-sama punya kastil, punya old town square dengan bangunan bergaya gothik dan baroque, sama-sama dilewati sungai Vltava, namun jauh lebih kecil dan lebih tradisioal. Bangunan-bangunan, rumah, dan toko-toko bergaya kuno dan berwarna-warni bisa kita temukan di setiap sudut kota. Saya sangat menikmati kunjungan saya di sini, kota kecil yang cantik dan imut. Berikut gallery foto-foto yang saya ambil di Cesky Krumlov, harap diingat semua foto ini diambil dalam keadaan cuaca yang kurang baik, mendung dan gerimis sepanjang hari, so, harap maklum saja kalau fotonya rada gelap, tapi, jadi kebayang kan gimana bagusnya kalau hari lagi cerah? Ok. Enjoy!