This past weekend was our first getaway from Prague into the countryside of the Czech Republic. We chose Cesky Krumlov, which turned out to be the perfect weekend spot.
Cesky Krumlov is simply adorable and even though I forgot my “real” camera (for shame!) I filled my phone (and E’s!) with a plethora of pictures from the medieval city.
(And don’t worry…I will almost share them all!).
We arrived Friday night and immediately collapsed into our little “riverside cottage” that was straight out of a Tolkien novel.
The next, after sleeping in a bit (we needed it, although I normally do not recommend this on weekend trips–but the Black Lung refuses to go away, so we gots to sleep!), we immediately set out to finally see the town.
We’d walked about half a block before we were waylaid by a rafting/boating shop. I’d heard that a highly recommended activity in Cesky Krumlov was to raft/canoe down the Vlatava River (the same river that runs through Prague) to a nearby abbey. We saw the shop and thought we would check out prices, planning to actually go boating either later that day or the next.
“Do you want to go now?” The shop owner asked after some basic questions.
“Well we were going to eat first…” We were hesitant.
“Eat here.” He pulled out a brochure of a riverside pub, and we were sold.
Immediately we went down a steep, narrow alleyway to the river and hopped into the waiting raft/canoe.
(I’m not sure what to call it–but it was reminiscent of an inflatable canoe).
I loved this spontaneity as usually I have every trip planned out. In this case, a little more planning might have been nice because this was not just the leisurely trip down the river I had imagined. There were small rapids and we got soaked!
Luckily it was a gorgeous day, and they’d given us a dry bag when we hopped in the boat (why this wasn’t a clue to how wet we would get, I don’t know).
Despite a more wild ride than anticipated, I was immediately enchanted. We got into the river just before the big bend that reaches Cesky Krumlov, so our first daylight (and non-misty) views of the town were from the water. We could see the ancient castle, the riverside buildings, a canal, and several churches, not to mention the slanted cobblestone streets. I risked the wet and snatched a few pictures in a non-rapid area of the river.
Not too long after leaving town, we were suddenly in the wilderness, or so it seemed. Thick forest surrounded the river, and there wasn’t another boat near us. Despite the occasional riverside pub, we didn’t see another soul for miles. I was not expecting this but the peacefulness was so needed after our hectic month in Prague.
The river started to get a little busier as we neared the riverside pub our guide had recommended to us. We even saw some locals searching for mushrooms, or “mushrooming,” which is apparently a popular Czech pastime in the warm months.
(As far as I can tell, it involves searching the forest for edible mushrooms! We saw some people with serious baskets or buckets, but one old man with his dog filling his hat. It sounds really fun, maybe someday I will be invited to go…).
We arrived at the pub and after a mishap trying to land (where one of us got really soaked), we climbed up into what turned out to be a Czech campground, complete with beer, sausages, a variety of drinks, and even goulash!
We were eventually able to snag a spot by the campfire, drink some beers (or rum and tea, for those of us freezing ones) and share a sausage. Everything was delicious, as it always is after you work for it! We made some Czech friends by the fire (that we later saw cruising the river with a bachelor party, on a boat that included a grill and a blow-up doll) and eventually took off for the abbey.
I didn’t enjoy the second half of the trip as much as I had the first, so by the time we arrived at the abbey I was ready to get out of the boat and since our ride was waiting (we made an arrangement with the raft company for a ride back, since I hear it’s difficult to get a canoe upriver), we only saw the abbey from afar. Still, it was a lovely, spontaneous trip through the Czech forest, and I can’t wait to get back to Cesky Krumlov and explore more!
Stay tuned for more Cesky Krumlov!
Welcome to Travel Tuesday!
Each week Bonnie, Jessi, Camila and I choose one post from the previous link-up to feature. Be sure to check out their blogs to see who they chose!
This week I am featuring Clem and Marcella from What a Wonderful World and Marcella’s post about The Lavaux Valley in Switzerland. Switzerland always holds a special place in my heart, and I love learning about places to visit there that I haven’t yet! This beautiful visit was all because of a spontaneous wine tasting, and what better travel story is there than that? Thanks for sharing, Marcella and Clem! Be sure to visit their post to check it out.
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