Ceský Krumlov is one of the best-known villages/cities in the Czech Republic and is known for the cute streets, houses, river and panoramic view of the city from the castle. It has been mentioned multiple times in “must-see locations” by for example Lonely Planet. It also had been on my list for quite some time and I was happy to finally head to Cesky Krumlov during my road trip to the Czech Republic in the 2022 summer. This Cesky Krumlov travel guide shows you the best things to do in Cesky Krumlov, including the best bars and restaurants and the nicest Cesky Krumlov accommodations.
Read more about a 10-day road trip through the Czech Republic here.
We stayed in Cesky for 2 nights, as we wanted to be able to get up early and explore the city when it was not yet completely packed with tourists. In the end, we could have done well with spending only one night here and just changing locations a little bit later during the day.
Good to know: there aren’t too many sights, however, there are quite some nice bars and restaurants to relax at. So, that’s what we did. We made good use of the cafe culture and enjoyed different places while reading a book.
Spending some time in Cesky Krumlov? There are several parking lots around Cesky Krumlov and often you get a discount on your accommodation. This means you have to drive in, head to the hotel, pick up your parking card and re-enter the parking lot. We paid 10 euros per night for parking in the P1 parking lot (which is next to the Cloak Bridge to enter the city centre).
No transport? You can also visit Cesky Krumlov as a day trip from Prague
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The Cloak Bridge is one of the sights you can’t and won’t miss during your visit to Cesky Krumlov. When coming from for example the P1 parking lot, you have to pass the bridge to enter the city centre. The cloak bridge is part of the castle area. This means you are also able to walk on the cloak bridge when visiting the castle. Cloak B
The Czech Republic is known for all the castles to be found in the country. Of course, Cesky Krumlov has one as well. You can visit the castle property, the castle itself (entry fees apply) or do a castle tour. We chose to just walk around on the castle property and not enter the castle. If you would like to do this, also explore the opportunity of the Cesky Krumlov card in which multiple entry fees are combined.
Still part of the castle, but this should be a separate activity. You might know Cesky Krumlov from the famous panoramic images of the city. Well, you can see this view yourself from the castle or even more specifically from the Cloak Bridge. (Yes, the city is not that big the 3 main ‘sights’ in my opinion are connected and can be seen as one).
It’s as simple as that. Just stroll around, take the different alleys and you will see most of Cesky Krumlov’s beauty. There are 3 main parts of the city. One part lies within the meandering river and the other main parts lie either above or below the bend.
Another place that can’t be missed, is the St. Vitus church is quite prominent in the skyline views on Cesky Krumlov. However, it is also worth getting a little bit closer.
Even though the Monastery of the Minorities is a sight by itself, looking back at the pictures I was completely distracted by the alley to get there.
I read quite some positive reviews on the Museum Fotoatelier Seidel, however, it was unfortunately closed during the days we visited Seidel. The museum is closed on Mondays. If you are visiting on any other day, this could still be worth a visit!
Apotheka is a hip cocktail bar, where they can mix every cocktail you like or you can order something from their creative menu. By day, you can sit on their terrace sipping a cup of coffee.
We spend a great and chill afternoon at Kifka. They offer nice Foccacia for lunch or go with a great cheese platter and some wine. In the early afternoon, you can still catch some rays of sun in the lounge chairs.
We saw many people walking in and out of this place and for a reason, the food was delicious. Make a reservation beforehand if you have the opportunity to make sure you have a table.
The location of this breakfast place makes it worth it. With relatively early opening hours (they open at 08:30, unlike some other places) and decent food, this is a great place to start your day.
This place just has to be a part of this Cesky Krumlov City Guide as it might be the most popular place for breakfast in town. Enjoy some pancakes, toast with eggs, great coffee and/or some nice sweets. You are definitely in for a treat.
According to the lady at our hotel, this is the best pizza in town. We tried to go here on our first evening, however, they were fully booked. The next day, we went there slightly after noon for a table in the evening and they could fortunately still give us an early shift. The pizzas were great!
As I’m a huge craft beer fan, I visit a craft beer bar in almost every place I go. Little did I know that our hotel was connected to the best craft beer bar in town!
At Drunken Coffee, you can start your day with coffee (surprise) at the waterfront or grab a beer, wine or cocktail later during the day. Egon Cafe serves several wines and plays live music at times (on the street or inside) and Hostinec Depo is another restaurant to put on your list, with a big terrace in the back.
A place that is a bit more high-end in Cesky, is the Bellevue Hotel. You can find rooms here for approximately 175 euros a night. The hotel is located in the historic centre, at a 2-minute walking distance from the castle.
We stayed at Pension Galko, right in the city centre of Cesky Krumlov. The pension was nothing special, but perfect for the time we were there. Due to the tourist nature of the city, hotels are relatively more expensive, hence, this was a perfect option. You will pay around €75 in early July. You can book pension Galko here.
Another great option in Cesky is the Monastery Garden Bistro and Rooms. The hotel is even rewarded with a 9.7 on booking.com. The location of the hotel is perfect and a great breakfast (also a la carte) is offered. You can book a room starting at €120 a night, however, in high season rooms get more expensive.
If you are looking for a place that is a low budget, you can check out Hostel Merlin, where you can find a twin room for approximately 35 euros a night. All rooms have shared bathrooms.