Cesky Krumlov

Construction of the town and castle began in the late 13th century at a ford in the Vltava River, which was important in trade routes in Bohemia. In 1302 town and castle was owned by the House of Rosenberg. Emperor Rudolf II bought Krumau 1602 and gave it to his son Julius d’Austria. Emperor Ferdinand II gave Krumau to the House of Eggenberg. Since 1719 until 1945 the castle belonged to the House of Schwarzenberg. Most of the architecture of the old town and castle region dates from the 14th through 17th centuries; the town's structures are mostly in Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. The core of the old town is within a horseshoe bend of the river, with the old Latrán neighborhood and castle on the other side of the Vltava.

The town became part of the Austrian Empire in 1806 and Austria-Hungary in 1866. 8,662 inhabitants lived in Krumau an der Moldau in 1910, including 7,367 Germans and 1,295 Czechs.

After World War I, Krumau belonged from October 1918 until September 1919 to Upper Austria within the Republic of German Austria. In November 1918 Czech troops occupied the town. During the interwar era it was part of Czechoslovakia. Between 1938 and 1945 it was annexed by Nazi Germany as part of the Sudetenland. The town's German-speaking population was expelled after World War II and it was restored to Czechoslovakia.

During the communist era of Czechoslovakia, Krumlov fell into disrepair, but since the Velvet Revolution of 1989 much of the town's former beauty has been restored, and it is now a major holiday destination for tourists from all around the world. In August, 2002, the town suffered from damage in the great flood of the Vltava River.

Sights

Krumlov Castle is unusually large for a town of Krumlov's size; within the Czech Republic it is the second biggest castle after the Hradčany castle complex of Prague.
Krumlov Castle contains a preserved Baroque theatre (completed 1766), complete with original stage machinery, scenery and props. It is one of the only of such theatres left, that still exist (others at Drottningholm and Gripsholm in Sweden). Due to its age, the theatre is only used three times a year (only two are open to the public), when a Baroque opera is performed in simulated candlelight. Guided tours are offert.
Krumlov has a museum dedicated to the painter Egon Schiele, who lived in the town.
Ten kilometers from Krumlov is one of Bohemia's oldest monasteries, Zlatá Koruna ("The Golden Crown"). About 30 km from Krumlov is the Hluboká Castle, established in the 12th century and later remodelled according to Windsor Castle in England.
Krumlov is close to the Šumava National Park, the Czech Republic's largest national park. The Šumava mountains lie along the border with Austria and Germany and offer a range of natural habitats - peat bogs, Alpine meadows, primeval forests, lakes, and rivers. The area is popular for hiker, cyclists, and canoeists on the Vltava.
It has also been used as filming locations for movies such as the 2006 films The Illusionist and Hostel.

Overview of objects of interest

Constructions

The bridge "na plášti" or "on the cloak" spans the moat on the western side of the Upper Castle. The bridge derives its name from the fortifications which used to protect the western side of the castle.

The “cloak bridge” is a multi-level bridge in Ceský Krumlov, which spans the castle ditch. The open passage connects two yards of the lock; it overstretches two further closed floors, which connect the buildings on both sides. For the first time the bridge was mentioned in the 15. Century and today's appearance of the bridge originates from the year 1777. Together with the lock the bridge ranks among the UNESCO – world heritage.

Renaissance-Townhall

According to the ground plans of the city that were drawn in the 14th century, construction on this plot of land first took place around the year 1300. The ground floor front arcade was added to the building at the decline of the Gothic period. In the second half of the 16th century, the two (or perhaps even three) separate Gothic buildings (the original town hall and a burgher’s home) that stood next to each other on this plot were joined together. The interiors of the buildings were connected and the Renaissance parapet was added to exterior front facade to give building a more unified appearance. A courtyard area and was added during this Renaissance renovation project, as well as the groin vaults in the main entrance hall (before the year 1564). In 1796, the parapetted attic wall was remodelled to its present-day Classical style and further alterations were made in the 19th century, when this parapetted wall was shortened slightly. During an extensive reconstruction project that took place in 1924, the arcade that had been formerly enclosed was opened up and the emblems on the front facade were revealed. From 1938 - 40 the courtyard section with meat stalls was demolished and the present - day interior was executed.

Significant Architectural Features :
*Symbols and emblems on the front facade: symbol of the town of Český Krumlov, Bohemia, on the left is the emblem of the Eggenberg family, on the right the symbol of the Schwarzenberg family, remodelling work about 1800, restored in 1986
*Groin vaults in the entrance hall
*Fragments of the Gothic window jambs and portals

The Castle

The Castle of Český Krumlov, with its architectural standard, cultural tradition, and expanse, ranks among the most important historic sights in the central European region. Building development from the 14th to 19th centuries is well-preserved in the original groundplan layout, material structure, interior installation and architectural detail. A worthy assessment of the area by both domestic and foreign experts resulted in the acquisition of historic monument preservation status. In 1963, the town was declared a Municipal Preserve, in 1989 the castle became a National Monument, and in 1992 the entire complex was included onto the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Monuments.
The mighty complex of the castle is erected on the rock promontory which has been sculpted by the Vltava river from the southern side and by Polečnice stream from the northern side. The castle towers proudly above the refined Renaissance and Baroque burgher architecture of the town below. The town, together with the magnificent Church of St.Vitus and the complex of the castle, creates an unique feature of the whole region. Like a precious pearl, the town of Český Krumlov is situated in the valley surrounded with the massif of Blansko Forest to the north and the undulating foothills of Šumava to the south and west. The castle area is one of the largest in central Europe. It is a complex of forty buildings and palaces, situated around five castle courts and a castle park spanning an area of seven hectares.
The name of the castle Krumlov originated from Latin expression castrum Crumnau or ancient German Crumbenowe. It reflects the configuration of the landscape - krumben ouwe means the place on the rugged meadow. The Český Krumlov Castle was mentioned for the first time by an Austrian knight minnesinger Ulrich of Lichtenstein in his poem "Der Frauendienst" which dates back between the years 1240 and 1242.
The first written form of the name of Crumbenowe is included in a document of Austrian and Styrian Duke Otakar from 1253. At that time, Krumlov was the seat of Vítek of Krumlov who belonged to the powerful noble family of Witigonen.

Castlegarden

The palace garden (Zámecka zahrada) has a surface of ten hectares. The development of the garden is documented well, among other things in the copper pass work “Jardin anglo chinois” of Georges Louis Le rouge.
From 1752 to 1843 there was also a rectangular maze with hedges from hornbeam. From this time there is left a small music pavilion .