One of the most romantic destinations that I have been to is
Cesky Krumlov, a UNESCO heritage town in the Czech Republic which gets its name
from an old German expression (thanks to its proximity to the Austrian border)
for ‘crooked meadow’ because of its topography- the babbling Vltava river
snakes around in curves between the wooded hills of Southern Bohemia.
Our Hotel Ruze, in Cesky Krumlov, was a former sixteenth
century Jesuit monastery and today its atmospheric interiors decorated like a
Renaissance palace, has knights of armour, coats of arms, and stag’s heads. The view from my room was a stunner...
The glittering centrepiece of the town is a gargantuan, photogenic
castle on a rocky promontory, which has been owned by a succession of noble
families over the ages. The exotic castle tower, reminiscent of a minaret, is
awash in pinks, reds and yellows. There is an illusion of windows and alcoves-
all painted on, like medieval wallpaper!
The castle has a
lovely courtyard with frescoes and you can take a guided tour of its interiors.
The ornate rooms were a feast for the eyes: stucco decorations, intricately
worked wooden cabinets, ceramic heaters which sometimes doubled up as ‘medieval
microwaves’, one of the largest collections of Belgian tapestries covering the
walls and bear rugs on the wooden floors.
The castle also boasts of an intact Baroque theatre with
ancient props, original costumes, more than fifty old special effects machines
and backdrops where stunning performances are still staged.
The show-stopper is the magnificent mirrored Masquerade hall
with bright Rococo style frescoes where aristocrats partied.There are eye-catching illusionist paintings
covering every square inch of the walls.
What I really enjoyed was the stunning view of the town from the castle windows!
What I really enjoyed was the stunning view of the town from the castle windows!
Rafting and canoeing on the Vltava River is very popular. We
navigated our raft over five weirs for a dose of adrenalin.
We spent a lazy afternoon in a riverside cafe gorging on
traditional Czech cuisine, consisting of a traditional millet casserole, potato
soup with daisies, dumplings with crushed poppy seeds along with copious
amounts of pilsners.
