Czesky Krumlov

May 27, 1996

We awoke today feeling fortunate and somewhat smug. It began raining the night before, shortly after we reached town, but this morning it is fine riding weather again. The first 30k were a fast, straight shot down an essentially traffic-free highway to Trebon, through an atypically flat terrain. I had been looking forward to seeing this town, but was a bit disappointed by its shortage of attractions once we got here. It is less far along in its restoration program than Jindrichuv Hradec is. The surrounding country is pretty enough though - a level, wide-open expanse covered with numerous small ponds and marshes, with abundant birdlife that included a stork and numerous swans.

The afternoon ride to Czesky Krumlov was both longer and more difficult than we were expecting. I had rather pictured an easy, generally downhill ride to the Vlatava river, but instead we crossed a series of steep moraines, fighting a headwind that steadily stiffened as the day wore on. by the time we arrived in town we were both fully weary and ready to leave the saddle.

Cesky Krumlov is amazing, and undoubtedly the high point of our short tour through the Czech Republic. The town is defined by its physical situation, built in and around a tight S-curve of the Vlatava. Few of its streets continue for more than a block or two before veering off at an angle because of the river. The streets, all narrow, are rimmed on both sides by lovely painted and sculpted structures. Side streets and alleys angle off sharply, often arched over or ending at the river that is never far away. Its labarinthine structure and the surrounding river give it a quality slightly reminiscent of Venice. The skyline is dominated by statuesque, dramatic monumental buildings - especially Saint Vitus church and the incomparable castle with its multihued painted tower. Both from the streets and from when viewed from above it is a visual wonder.

Saint Vitus church. Annoyingly, I somehow set the date display feature on and didn't discover it for another day or so. And, the date's incorrect by about a decade.

We found our lodging for the night quickly upon entering town, at a delightful pension on a side alley below Saint Vitus. Our room, jammed beneath the steeply pitched roofline, was at the top of a steep flight of stairs with steps about 10" deep. It always felt precarious ascending to or descending from our room.

Today's ride: 90 km (56 miles)
Total: 345 km (214 miles)

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