South Bohemia, a region in the Czech Republic to the south of Prague, is best known for the mega castle in Český Krumlov. It is probably the most visited attraction in the area but by no means the only thing worth seeing. The Schwarzenberg family had power over the region for many years with (happily for me) a large affinity for castles. Believe it or not, we visited the State Chateau of Hluboká, Ohrada Castle, Jindřichův Hradec’s palace, the palace in Český Krumlov and more all in just one week. Visiting in February is an unusual time for tourists in South Bohemia, but we made the most of it!
Hluboká nad Vltavou
The State Chateau of Hluboká was the very first castle we visited while in South Bohemia because it was at the TOP of my list. We took the bus to Hluboká from České Budějovice, as it is just 10 kilometers away. As we got closer and closer to the town, I was glued to the window, looking for the chateau up on the hill. This stunning white castle is straight out of a fairy tale. It has towers of various sizes with the iconic square cut-out tops. Jumping out of the bus, I took off at a quick pace up the hill. Nearly there, I passed by the Hotel Štekl, which itself looks like a castle. The hotel is housed in the former offices, kennels, and stables for Chateau Hluboká.
The castle offers 5 different kinds of tours – the representation rooms, the private apartments, the chateau kitchens, the suite rooms, and the castle tower. And in winter there is a 6th tour on offer (albeit the only tour offered in winter) which visits the ground level private suites of the last several generations of Schwarzenbergs. Although the castle dates back to the 13th century, it was first resided in by the Schwarzenberg family in the 1660’s.
The tour was only available in Czech, but we were given detailed information packets in English for the cheaper Czech tour price. This portion of the castle reminded me of a Jagdschloss (hunting residence), as there were hunting trophies and the sport’s accoutrements covering the walls in many of the rooms. Our tour guide was very thorough (although only in Czech), explaining so much that the tour behind us caught up and had to wait. I would love to go again to see more sections of the castle and go up in the tower.
Before and after the tour I took a million pictures of the castle from various angles with varying amounts of sunlight. Although Hluboká is just 10 km from České Budějovice, we spent a good part of the day there due to when the busses were available. After our tour of the castle, we walked around the outside, getting a look at the gardens and the cool balconies built on the rear side of the palace. Then we did a brief walk around the streets below, hoping in vain to get a look inside the church. The town itself isn’t very big, but tourism has left a large footprint. There are many restaurants, a few hotels, and numerous souvenir stands.
Ohrada
Wonderfully, Hluboká boasts a second castle not too far away. C and I walked 2 kilometers around the lake to get to Castle Ohrada. Unfortunately it was closed in February. When it is open from April to October, the castle contains Europe’s oldest hunting museum – The Museum of Forestry, Hunting, and Fishing. Not only does it have exhibits on those topics but also embodies what a classic hunting lodge looked like. Right next door, Zoo Hluboká is open year round.
Jindřichův Hradec
JH is an adorable town in South Bohemia, known for its Laubengänge (covered walkways) and described as having a glorious medieval past. The main square is more oblong than square, but filled with pastel painted buildings. I think on a sunny day it must look marvelous, but on a cold and dreary February day there wasn’t much liveliness on the square.
Although we knew in advance, February is really not a tourist’s month in the Czech Republic. Many of the castles we saw from the outside were closed for the winter season or had extremely limited hours. But even without getting a tour, you can tell Jindřichův Hradec’s castle is impressive. It’s the Czech Republic’s third largest castle complex, behind the Prague Castle and Český Krumlov.
Walking through the different courtyards, reminded me of Heidelberg Castle because there are so many obviously different styles throughout the building. This usually means that each new ruler wanted to build something of his own in the most modern and stylish fashion of the time. There’s the 10th century castle, the roman gothic hall, the renaissance palace with Spanish wing, the arcade, and the pavilion. When visiting the castle in season, there are 4 tour variations you can take depending on your historical interests, the additional tower and kitchens, as well as the ongoing exhibitions to explore. It’s said that over 500 keys are needed to open the more than 320 rooms!
Museum of Photography and Modern Media
While in Jindřichův Hradec, we also visited the Museum of Photography and Modern Media. Besides displays from local photographers and photography clubs, there were also exhibits on silent film and antique camera equipment. Wrapping up our time in Jindřichův Hradec, we stopped into the liquor store, Fruko Schulz, on the square to pick up some of their locally produced absinth for our friend’s birthday. The strange green alcohol lauded by the likes of Picasso and van Gogh is a specialty product of the region, and Jindřichův Hradec in particular.
Třeboň
If you want to see the cutest town square in South Bohemia, then you have to visit Třeboň. Like Jindřichův Hradec, the castle in Třeboň was closed as well. Similarly, the castle was built in various styles throughout the centuries. We took a look around the courtyard and found the emblematic Schwarzenberg head and raven (which we also saw on the door handles of the palace in Hluboká), since the family resided there from the 17th century onward.
Out of luck with the castle, we wandered into the tourist information office on the square to find out if anything was open for us to visit. The castle is open on Thursdays and Fridays in the winter, and the nearby theater is open on Mondays; but it was Wednesday. The woman told us we could visit the tower on the square for a view over the city. She handed us a key and explained how to open the complicated lock. Once inside, we locked the door behind us and hiked up to the top floor of the tower. From there, we could really see how small the town was, because we could easily view the fishing ponds and forest surrounding the village-like town. Třeboň is famous in the Czech Republic for their traditional carp Christmas. Having enjoyed the view, we climbed back down, carefully locked up, and returned the key.
Schwarzenberg Tomb
Heading out to the forests, we walked about 2 kilometers from the square along the lake and through a wooded park to visit the Schwarzenberg Tomb. Our luck kicked in here. The only tour of the day was about to start in 10 minutes! Even though it was only available in Czech, we received substantial information guides about the tomb in English and German. The building itself looks like a grand church or small cathedral. The chapel is on the main floor inside and below are the tombs of many Schwarzenbergs. I found it most interesting to learn about the unique architectural details.
Třeboň is at the crossroads of many cycling paths throughout South Bohemia. After visiting, it’s easy to see why. It’s a scenic town surrounded by nature with an impressive castle. I wouldn’t mind being back by bike!
Český Krumlov
If you’ve heard of anywhere in the Czech Republic besides Prague, then it was probably Český Krumlov. And for good reason! This UNESCO town and its castle are FANTASTIC! I was totally in love. The Vltava River (known as Moldau in German) seems to run circles around the old town. The river, castle on the hill, multiple towers, and red-roofed houses make this place so picturesque.
Since Český Krumlov is so beautiful and a UNESCO city, everyone knows about it; it’s a total tourist magnet. This was one of the few places on our trip where I was happy to be traveling in February. If you hate crowds, then this is not the place for you to visit in the summer. Lucky for us, the cold and dreary time of year meant there weren’t nearly as many tourists. Another good tip is to stay at least one night in CK because most people come just for the day. That means before 10am and after 5pm you’ll have the town pretty much for yourself. The only downside in February was that the few veggie friendly restaurants we were interested in checking out weren’t open, although there are other eating options.
Castle Visit
During our visit to Český Krumlov the castle was under renovation, so we were only able to enter the castle museum and tower. I have no idea how getting up the tower works in summer. There is one narrow staircase for going up and down, but the view is worth it! Afterwards, we went into the museum. In the 14th to 16th centuries, the castle was ruled by the Rosenbergs, who were the prior owners to many other prominent buildings which later belonged to the Schwarzenbergs. It’s the same story here – in 1719 Český Krumlov was inherited by the Schwarzenberg family. Each room has an info sheet available in several languages. My favorite exhibit was the movie hallway. It had old fashion movie seats and showed pictures and silent footage of the Schwarzenberg family on hunt, in the garden, and driving around.
Museum Fotoatelier Seidel
Out of the many museums in Český Krumlov, we decided to visit the Museum Fotoatelier Seidel. The German-Bohemian father and son duo were well known in the area for documenting the life and culture of the people of Šumava region. In their family home, we learned about the photography developing process in their dark rooms and saw the store front, family rooms, and top floor photography studio. The individual audio guided tour was extremely interesting. I would highly recommend visiting the museum.
Bärensteig Hike
We had 2 days in Český Krumlov, but only spent one in the romantic old town. The second day was an adventure heading out to the Šumava National Park where we hiked the Bärensteig. I loved everything about our trip to the forest – fantastic trains, magical snowy weather, an amazingly well-marked trail, interesting history, crazy cool rock formations, and an absolutely beautiful trail the whole way.
Don’t Miss
These places didn’t have castles for us to visit, but they were certainly worth stopping by. There are picturesque old towns to wander through, towers to climb up, traditional villages to check out, and more in South Bohemia.
Tábor
We visited Tábor on our journey from Prague to České Budějovice, as the train passes through on the way. This seemingly tourist-less town is worth stopping in. On the way from the train station, you’ll walk by the statue of Jan Hus, leader of the Hussites in the Bohemian Reformation in the 1400’s. The old town has a large square surrounded by tiny winding alleys. Some kind of celebration of butchers was happening at one of the restaurants on the square when we arrived. There was singing, speeches, and a stand selling drinks and food.
Just off of the square is a church with a tower in which you can get a view over the square. This was one of the strangest tower visits I have been on. The stairway becomes very narrow and you even have to crawl under one of the bells to continue going up the 200+ stairs! No wonder our guide book recommended to not visiting on the hour due to the chiming. The top had a beautiful view over the town, lake, and a small waterfall. Back on the ground, we visited the city’s last remaining gate.
There’s so much more to see in Tábor, like the chocolate and marzipan museum, the Lego museum, the medieval gate (with museum), and the nearby convent Klokoty. You can easily make a full day out of a visit to Tábor and you won’t be bothered by many other tourists while you’re there.
České Budějovice
For our trip, we spent 4 out of 6 nights in České Budějovice. Not only is the city totally cute with all of its covered walkways, but it is an excellent location for visiting the surrounding region. From CB we were able to take trains or busses in order to access Hluboká, Jindřichův Hradec, Třeboň, and Holasovice.
České Budějovice is where the Czech Budweiser beer originated, but not the “original,” since the American Budweiser was founded 43 years earlier in 1852. But we won’t hold it against them 😉 The main square in Budweis, as the city is nicknamed, is enormous. All four sides contain a row of colorful houses with arched walkways. The giant Samson fountain in the center steals the show as he battles lions. There are a few city towers around which can be ascended, but we unfortunately always showed up too late to the truncated winter visiting hours. Aside from that, there are a multitude of museums and galleries to check out in Budweis.
Holasovice
Holasovice is another UNESCO site in South Bohemia. We felt a bit disappointed that, because of the busses, we would only have an hour-ish to visit. But that turned out to be plenty of time. The village is a world heritage site because the set up and style represent a traditional regional village. I can how crowded it can get in summer with tour busses. The nearby villages of Dobčice and Záboří were recommended alternatives, but we couldn’t manage to get to them with the winter bus schedule.
It takes around 15 minutes to walk around the square which are lined by about two dozen houses. The info center was closed when we visited, but we did stop in the local pottery shop and walked past “Holasovice’s Stonehenge” to get a look at the lake. Near the parking lot is a beautiful view of the countryside.
Future Plans
I would love to get back to South Bohemia to visit these castles and more when they’re all open. We only had time for a handful of the region’s most famous castles in one week. I didn’t get to Cervena Lhota, Burg Rabi, Burg Kasperk, among others. There are so many more tiny towns I would like to visit as well, like Telč and Slavonice. And the cycling infrastructure we saw there looks amazing. If our small hike on the Bärensteig is any indication, then I also wouldn’t mind doing some more hiking either. Then there’s the summer kayaking on the Vltava, too. Looks like I definitely need another trip to South Bohemia!