Ceske Krumlov/Budejovice Blog

Leaving Austria behind, I caught a train into the Czech Republic, to a gorgeous village called Cesky Krumlov which was just across the border. My hostel was more like a family home and would probably rate as the best one I've stayed in since my travels began. It's owned by an American lady who came here as a tourist 15 years ago, after her marriage broke up. She'd intended on staying for a couple of days but fell in love with the place and ended up buying the hostel.  From the hostel, it was an easy 5 minute stroll into the main square. The village is built in a valley so it was very easy to walk around without a map, you just had to look up and see the castle to know where you were. All of the streets are cobblestones and, rather than go in straight lines, they 'meander'. Like Vienna, the buildings are a mix of architectural styles but at least someone put some thought into the layout and the result is 100% better. A river winds its way through the village which adds to the appeal.  I stayed here for 3 nights and it was nice to be able to completely relax and not feel the pressure to walk for 8 hours a day trying to see everything! Sitting in the square, I even started to feel a bit resentful of the huge groups of tourists that came swarming through, following their leader with the raised umbrella! Shows I'd started to feel like a local! Unlike the owner of the hostel, I'm not staying for ever so moved on to another town called Ceske Budejovice, just an hour away. This place was quite a bit bigger and nowhere near as nice. It did have a lovely square, surrounded by beautiful buildings but lacked the charm. The main tourist attraction here is the Budweiser factory, this is the home of budvar, as they call it here. Unfortunately, as my only full day was Easter Friday, I wasn't able to do the tour and have a free taste of all their products, shame. The weather had taken a turn and it was raining and freezing cold so I was forced to have a very lazy day at the hostel. Which means that I'm now well and truly ready to move on to Prague and explore what is supposed to be an amazing place.