"Cesky Krumlov, the Red Roof Town" Cesky Krumlov by Nadia7

The original Gothic castle was founded by the Lords of Krumlov some time before 1250. They represented a branch of the powerful family of the Witigonen with the five-petalled rose in their coat-of-arms. When the Lords of Krumlov died out in 1302, their relatives the Rosenbergs inherited the castle. The Rosenbergs family had their seat there up till 1602. Their name as well as the three centuries of their rule is connected with the greatest era of flourish of the town and castle. In the second half of the 16th century the castle acquired the form of a mighty and splendid Renaissance residence. At that time the rulers of the Rosenberg dominion represented eminent personalities among Bohemian aristocracy, educated humanists, patrons of the culture and arts, and prominent politicians all filling the highest posts within Bohemian Kingdom.

View from the Castle Tower

There is much more to say about the history of Cesky Krumlov. The new dynasty - the princely lineage of the Schwarzenbergs - inherited Krumlov during the 18th century. As early as in their second generation Joseph Adam zu Schwarzenberg showed his creative personality. A deft and enterprising businessman as well as a passionate art lover, he played an important role in the far-reaching reconstructions of the castle. Inclination towards the culture of the imperial residence in Vienna contributed to the enrichment of building innovations as well as of social life at the castle with the cultural impetus of European importance. Towards the end of the 18th century, and especially in the 19th century, the protracted stagnation of art and economy became evident, and after the middle19th century the Èeský Krumlov Castle lost its role as the main residence of the Krumlov-Hluboká Schwarzenberg branch and was not regularly inhabited even in the 20th century.

You can sit on a bench and relax...

There are many crooked and hidden streets in the town. It is worth exploring them, this might be one of your rewards.
Red roofs are a typical feature of the Czech Republic.

• Pros:Good transport to the surroundings, one full day is enough to see the town.
• Cons:Gets too touristy in the summer.
• In a nutshell:The town brings you back to the medieval times.