Cesky Krumlov Castle, Bohemia, Czech Republic

4Brittany_11_10 5:00 PM Nov 28, 2021

Would be better w/o the bears
I'd give Cesky Castle five stars if not for the fact that "they" keep two brown bears onsite (at the entrance/exit) because I don't see any purpose for the bears being there. (Yes, from days of yore, two bears were shield-bearers in the coat of arms of the ruling Rosenburg family, but it's 2021, not the 1600s, so it's pretty archaic). As for the castle, you can walk a lot of it for free, and for a small fee (I forget now what it is) you can tour the museum and go up in the tower. The tower doesn't necessarily give you incredible views that you can't almost see from other vantage points, but the museum is well done and worth a walk through if you're interested in the history of the place.

4msdAmerinParis 5:00 PM Aug 27, 2020

A not-to-be missed visit in a Unesco Cultural Heritage town
Both the town and in particular this castle are not to be missed if visiting the Céech Republic. Built on a hill (not at all handicapped friendly!) the houses seem to not have changed in a century, and the castle is stupendous with its panaramic views and furnished rooms. Unfortunately the ticket-selling people are as unhelpful as possible if you don't speak Czeck. And all visits are necessarily accompanied by a guide. Tickets are timed, and there are few visits in English, a few more in German and of course in plenty in Czech. If you are short in time and accept to follow a visit in a language you don't speak, they have texts they can hand out should you inform your guide of your difficulty. Normally you cannot take photos, but some guides are more lenient than others. Make sure you get tickets for the 3 most important visits: Tour1, Tour 2 & the theatre, each of which lasts about an hour. Tour 1 includes the earliest state rooms; Tour 2 is 19th century; and the Theatre is the only still working Baroque theatre in the world - a true gem. For the anecdote, I hadn't realized there were two tours. After following Tour 1 & the theatre, it was mid afternoon & I went to get a ticket for Tour 2 which I had specifically stated in English & in Szeck ("dve"). As I went to the door for the tour, I realized the ticket person had given me a ticket for Tour 1. When I went back to correct the error, she told me there were no more tickets in English for Tour 2 & only in Czech; that's the reason she gave me tour 1 again. I told here I'd already done the tour, and she agitatedly changed my ticket. Also, don't miss the bears - rather than filling the protective moat with water, this castle has a moat filled with bears. And when a bear dies, the hides are made into rugs, which you will see in the various rooms.