Marilyn's Odyssey: Cesky Krumlov

We were lucky enough to be driven from Vienna to Prague so not only did we get to enjoy the countryside and the small farming villages but we got to take a side trip to the picturesque village of Cesky Krumlov. The whole town of 14,000 is a world UNESCO site and is one of the most charming towns we have ever visited. The towns first roots were set down in 1240 by the Vitkovo family and all the buildings date from the 14th to 17th century with a majority of Renaissance and baroque architecture. The town is built on a horseshoe bend of the Vitava River which adds to its charm and beauty. Prior to WWII it was mostly a German town but the German residents were expelled after the war and it is now predominantly Czech. During the communist era the town fell into disrepair but since the revolution in 1989 its Beaty has been restored. All the streets are cobblestone and there are very few cars allowed within the town itself. The windy streets lead you up to quite a large castle for a town of this size which today serves as a tourist destination for tours as well as some rooms are rented to the locals for accommodation. There is a place in the moat of the castle where European brown bears have been kept since the 16th century and this tradition continues today. Apparently they get the bears from ones born in captivity and have a couple at a time. We had a local guide who had been raised here and then gone to live in San Francisco for a few years where she met her husband but they returned here to raise their daughter. Two very different worlds. After a couple of hours of poking around the wonderful sights we enjoyed a typical Czech meal before setting off to Prague.