The next morning we got up and set off to explore the city as it was our only day that we were spending there. Our first stop was the large Nam Premysla Otakara II (the town square) where we enjoyed wandering around looking at the buildings facing it including the town hall and the tall black tower. We spent the rest of the morning wandering around the city centre looking at old buildings and churches before heading just north of the city centre to the Budweiser Budvar Brewery which is where the famous Budweiser Budvar Lager is brewed. Arriving at the brewery we went for a short tour of the brewery seeing everything the fermentation tanks to the brewing room to the bottling plant and of course it included a delicious taste test. After enjoying our delicious beer on the great tour we returned to the city centre where we spent the afternoon using the internet and climbing the Black Tower for superb views over the city. That evening we enjoyed a delicious pork filled dinner, but unfortunately it was accompanied by Plzen beer (Czech Republic's other famous beer), before returning to our hostel for the night.
The next morning we packed up our bags and hopped on a bus bound for Cesky Krumlov which is a picturesque town just 45 minutes south of Ceske Budejovice. Arriving at Cesky Krumlov we made our way to the tourist information office where we were helped to find a hostel for the night. After dropping our bags off at the hostel we set off to explore the charming alleyways of the Unesco World Heritage Listed town. After wandering the streets for a bit we decided to enjoy a bit of lunch in a little sidewalk cafe before we made our way up to Cesky Krumlov Castle. Arriving at the castle we walked over a drawbridge that spanned a moat containing 3 bears so we stopped to watch them for a while. Inside the castle complex we joined a tour that took us through a small chapel and the lavish apartments that Rozmberk and Schwarzenberg families used to live in. The tour was quite detailed and the tour guide had a great sense of humor so it was thoroughly enjoyable and a great way to learn about the different rooms of the castle. After the tour we wandered around the expansive gardens and courtyards around the castle. We spent the remainder of the afternoon walking around the charming town before enjoying another delicious pork filled dinner this time accompanied by Budweiser Budvar beer.
The following morning we got up and had planned on doing an easy canoe trip along the Vltava River which snakes through the town. However, the day was overcast and quite cold so we decided to wait and hope that it would warm up before floating down the river. So instead we passed some time wandering around the charming town some more and visiting the torture museum which wasn't all that interesting. By midday it hadn't warmed up any more so we scraped the idea of floating down the river and just grabbed our bags and made our way to the bus station. At the bus station we boarded a bus bound for Ceske Budejovice where we changed to a train heading to Plzen, our next destination.
The fountain in the middle of Nam Premysla Otakara II.
Our brewery tour guide holding up a glass of Budweiser Budvar lager in one of the fermentation rooms.
The view from the top of the Black Tower overlooking the main square in Ceske Budejovice.
Lianne standing with the Cesky Krumlov Castle in the background.
A view over the Vltava River and the centre of Cesky Krumlov from one point in the castle.
Looking up at the fairytale looking Round Tower of the Cesky Krumlov Castle.
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