22 May 2018, Tuesday
After five wonderful days in Austria, it’s time to move on to another country – Czech Republic, the sixth country of the trip so far. Before heading to the capital Prague, we will be spending a night at Český Krumlov, located in the southern part of the Czech Republic and near the Austrian border.
As Český Krumlov is a very small city, there are no direct international train services. From Salzburg, it will require a change of trains at a larger city called České Budějovice, followed by a local train ride to Český Krumlov. However, it will be quite a hassle to change trains and it will also require travelling over a longer distance because České Budějovice is 25km north of Český Krumlov, while Salzburg is to the south.
I managed to find a company called CK Shuttle (click here) offering private shuttle van services from Salzburg to Český Krumlov. I booked an 8-seater van to take us from Salzburg Hbf train station directly to our accommodation in Český Krumlov.
To keep our expenses low, we went for the shared shuttle and it cost us 800 Kč ($53) per person (i.e. per seat) for the 3-hour ride. If you prefer to travel in more comfort and privacy, you can book the whole van (with prices ranging from 6,500 Kč to 8,450 Kč, depending on the date) or a whole passenger car (with prices up to 5,850 Kč for maximum 4 passengers). You can find more details on their website (click here).
After checking out of our Der Salzburger Hof hotel, we walked to Salzburg Hbf and proceeded to the pickup point in front of the Lastenstraße exit. At 9:02am, the black CK Shuttle van arrived and our driver, Ondrej (pronounced as Andrew), stepped out of the vehicle and greeted us warmly.
After loading our luggage onto the van, he passed us a bottle of mineral water each, and we departed Salzburg Hbf at 9:05am. We picked up another Indian family and a Eurasian couple along the way. The van was fully occupied but it was still comfortable enough. The air-conditioning was good and the ride was smooth.
At 10:12am, we stopped at a petrol station for a 10-minute toilet break. At 11:07am, we crossed the border and entered the Czech Republic. I only saw a small sign by the roadside bearing the EU logo and the words “Czechia”, but there was no border control. We heaved a sigh of relief as we entered safely because we were still a little bit worried about encountering issues with border security due to mum and dad’s mysterious case of the vanishing passport stamps. You can read more about the drama here.
(No time difference between Austria and the Czech Republic)
(Exchange rate: 100 Kč = S$7.00)
At 11:45am, we arrived at Český Krumlov and we were the first to alight from the van. As promised by CK Shuttle, Ondrej dropped us at the doorstep of our accommodation. The ride from Salzburg took less than three hours and it was hassle free. Totally worth it.
For our accommodation in Český Krumlov, there were very few Airbnb apartments and hotels that were within our budget, so I turned to booking.com and found a nice apartment by Horní Brána, located relatively near the historic Old Town and bus station (for our onward journey to Prague tomorrow). In fact, I had to book two apartments because the maximum occupancy per apartment was two persons, and there were three of us. Nevertheless, the price for two apartments was still reasonable, and we would only be staying a night here, so we went for it.
Horní Brána – Apartment with Terrace
Address: Nová 60, Český Krumlov, 381 01, Czech Republic
Total price for 2 apartments for 1 night: €82 (S$137.45)
Link: http://www.booking.com/Share-oJhojsI
The official check-in timing was at 2pm so we were about two hours early. Thankfully, the owner allowed us to check in early. Our two apartment units were located on the lower level in the same building and we each had a balcony porch outside our rooms facing a grass patch. The building was located in a residential area so we felt like locals living in Český Krumlov. There were chairs and a table at the porch so we could just sit there and enjoy the view of the Old Town. We could also walk across to each other’s unit. It was very lovely.
The apartment came with a king-sized bed and a sofa bed. Actually, the room was spacious enough for the three of us but booking.com did not allow for a third person to be added to the room. There was also a fully equipped kitchen, a large bathroom and a large square table with two chairs. It was clean and very comfortable, and mum said that this was her favourite accommodation for the whole trip.
After settling our luggage down, we headed out at about 12:40pm. As per our usual practice, we decided to recce the location of the bus station first, so that we would know exactly where to go tomorrow morning to catch our bus to Prague. The bus station was located about 450m away from our apartment, just a short 5-minute walk away. Perfect.
Next, it was time to explore the Old Town. But first, lunch. Our apartment owner recommended a restaurant called Maštal at Old Town Square. The interior of the restaurant was like a cave and it was dimly lit and atmospheric, quite unique. However, it was full of Asian tourists when we arrived at 1:05pm so we took a table outside instead.
We ordered a bowl of beef soup, chicken wings and a crispy pork knuckle to share. The bill came up to 670 Kč (S$47). The soup was nice but it would have been better if it was warmer. The pork knuckle was very meaty and we couldn’t finish it.
With our stomachs filled, we could now tour the Old Town properly. At 2pm, it was crowded everywhere we turned. Český Krumlov is a very small town and its entire historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s so small that you can cover it in just a few hours. Most tourists visit Český Krumlov on a day trip from Prague, located 180km away. However, it is better to spend a night here because the drive from Prague already takes about three hours, so the two-way journey will take around six hours, leaving precious little time to explore Český Krumlov properly.
The core of the Old Town is within the horseshoe bend of the Vltava river but the Český Krumlov Castle sits across the river. We decided to visit the castle first. There are a few ticket options to tour the Český Krumlov Castle (click here). Having already visited a palace in Vienna and the fortress in Salzburg, we opted to skip the tour of the castle and just focus on the tower. The ticket for Castle Tower costs 50 Kč (S$3.50).
Castle Tower is an instantly recognisable icon of Český Krumlov. The reason why the six-storey tower’s appearance is so eclectic is because it was built over different time periods in a mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles. The oldest part is the first floor and second floor, built during the first half of the 13th century. The third floor was built around the 14th century. The belfry on the fourth floor contains four bells, with the heaviest weighing 1,800kg and dating back to 1406. The arcaded gallery with 19 columns is on the fifth floor and it was added in 1581. Finally, the sixth floor is where the clocks are.
To get to the gallery on the fifth floor, we had to climb a total of 162 steps. As the tower was really old, some sections of the steps were quite steep and narrow. We were panting slightly by the time we reached the top but the resulting view was so worth it. Český Krumlov is one of the most picturesque towns and you get an amazing panoramic view from the top of Castle Tower. We spent about 10 minutes up there before climbing down again.
We then went over to the castle building to get another view. As we didn’t buy tickets to tour the castle, we just walked around the general area and snapped photos as we moved around. As mentioned, Český Krumlov is incredibly scenic so there is a nice shot almost everywhere you turn. If only it wasn’t so crowded with tourists!
As we walked towards the red entrance/exit gate of the castle grounds, we saw a small shop selling traditional Czech ice-cream. We couldn’t resist so we bought the mixed flavour, vanilla and blackberry ice-cream. Mine was served in a black cone. It cost 35 Kč (S$2.45) and it was soooooo good! It was possibly the best ice-cream I have ever tasted.
Wandering along the cobblestone paved streets in the Old Town, we get the sense that not much has changed in this medieval town, which used to be a fortress. The buildings have largely retained their Middle Ages appearance and it is like going back in time. However, a key feature of the fortress – the fortification walls and city gates – were all but demolished during the 19th century. Of the original nine city gates, only one, Budějovická Gate, has been preserved. Such a pity.
By about 5pm, most of the Prague day-trippers had left and the Old Town area was much more peaceful. The sun was also nicely warm and it cast a soft glow on the town, making it ideal for taking beautiful pictures. It was a very pleasant time to stroll around.
As we were making our way back to our apartment, we came across a small garden beside the Regional Museum. It was a wonderful spot for taking photos as it had a great view of the Český Krumlov Castle and Tower across the Vltava river.
By 6pm, we were back in our apartment. It felt so good to have a large and comfortable apartment where we could lounge around and relax the night away. This being Day 22 of the trip, dad was visibly quite tired after all the travelling and walking. We had covered a lot of distance in the past 22 days, traversing six countries overland from Greece to the Czech Republic and sleeping in 12 different cities.
At about 7pm, it suddenly started to pour heavily with thunder rumbling in the distance. Mum would later recall that standing at our porch to view the rain falling that evening was one of her most beautiful memories from the trip. It was meaningful because despite all the amazing sights we had seen over the past 22 days, the simple fact of being safe at home with a roof over our heads and with our loved ones around was a moment that meant a lot to her.
This was one of the nights that we really were able to enjoy ourselves and get some good rest. Tomorrow, we will be travelling to Prague, our last city together, before mum and dad fly home. Precious moments to cherish before I embark on the solo leg of my trip in three days’ time!