Sleeping and eating guide - Rick Steves

ČEsKý Krumlov 

120 Rick Steves’ Hidden Europe 

horseback riding 

Head about a mile and a half out of town, beyond the Křížový Vrch 

(Hill of the Cross), for horseback rides and lessons at Slupenec 

Horseback Riding Club. 

Cost and Hours: One hour outdoors or in the ring-300 Kč, 

all-day ride-2,200 Kč, helmets provided, Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, 

closed Mon, Slupenec 1, worth a taxi trip, tel. 380-711-052, www 

.jk-slupenec.cz, René Srncová. 

sleeping in Český Krumlov 

Krumlov is filled with small, good, family-run pensions offering 

doubles with baths from 1,000 to 1,500 Kč and hostel beds for 300 

Kč. Summer weekends and festivals (see “Helpful Hints,” earlier) 

are busiest and most expensive; reserve ahead when possible. 

Hotels (not a Krumlov forte) have staff that speak some English 

and accept credit cards; pensions rarely have or do either. While 

you can find a room upon arrival here, it’s better to book at least a 

few days ahead if you want to stay in the heart of town. Cars are 

not very safe overnight—locals advise paying for a garage. 

in the old Town 

$$$ Castle View Apartments, run by local guide Jiří Václavíček, 

rents seven apartments. These are the plushest and best-equipped 

rooms I found in town—the bathroom floors are heated, all come 

with kitchenettes, and everything’s done just right. Their website 

describes each stylish apartment (1,800-4,500 Kč depending 

on size, view, and season; the big 4,500-Kč apartment sleeps up 

sleep code 

(18 Kč = about $1, country code: 420) 

S = Single, d = Double/Twin, T = Triple, Q = Quad, b = bathroom, 

s = shower only. Unless otherwise noted, prices include 

breakfast. 

To help you sort easily through these listings, I’ve divided 

the accommodations into three categories based on the price 

for a double room with bath in high season: 

$$$ Higher Priced—Most rooms 1,500 Kč or more. 

$$ Moderately Priced—Most rooms between 1,000-1,500 Kč. 

$ Lower Priced—Most rooms 1,000 Kč or less. 

Prices can change without notice; verify the hotel’s 

current rates online or by email. For other updates, see www 

.ricksteves.com/update. 

Czech Republic: Český Krumlov 121 

to six, complex pricing scheme, reserve direct with this book for 

10 percent off online prices, non-smoking, breakfast in a nearby 

hotel, Šatlavská 140, tel. 380-727-015, mobile 731-108-677, www 

.castleview.cz, info@castleview.cz). 

on parkán Street, Below the Square 

Secluded Parkán street, which runs along the river below the 

square, has a row of pensions with three to five rooms each. These 

places have a family feel and views of the looming castle above. 

$$$ Hotel Mlýn, at the end of Parkán, is a newly opened 

and tastefully furnished hotel with more than 30 rooms and all 

the amenities (Sb-2,400 Kč, Db-3,000 Kč, elevator, free Wi-Fi, 

pay parking, Parkán 120, tel. 380-731-133, fax 380-747-054, www 

.hotelmlyn.eu, info@hotelmlyn.eu). 

$$ Pension Olšakovský, which has a delightful breakfast area 

on a terrace next to the river, treats visitors as family guests (Db- 

1,000-1,250 Kč, includes parking, Parkán 114, tel. & fax 380-714-333, 

mobile 604-430-181, www.olsakovsky.cz, J.Olsakovsky@post.cz). 

on Latrán Street, at the Base of the Castle 

A quiet, cobbled pedestrian street (Latrán) runs below the castle 

just over the bridge from the Old Town. It’s a 10-minute walk 

downhill from the train station. Lined with cute shops, the street 

has a couple of fine little family-run, eight-room pensions. 

$$ Pension Danny is a little funky place, with homey rooms 

and a tangled floor plan above a restaurant (Db-1,050 Kč, apartment 

Db-1,250 Kč, breakfast in room, Latrán 72, tel. 380-712-710, 

www.pensiondanny.cz, recepce@pensiondanny.cz). 

on rooseveltova Street, Between the Bus 

Station and the old Town 

Rooseveltova street, midway between the bus station and the Old 

Town (a four-minute walk from either), is lined with several fine 

little places, each with easy free parking. The key here is tranquility—the 

noisy bars of the town center are out of earshot. 

$$ Little Pension Teddy offers three deluxe rooms that share 

a balcony overlooking the river and have original 18th-century furniture. 

Or stay in one of four modern-style rooms, some of which 

also face the river (Db-1,250 Kč, deluxe Db-1,400 Kč, cash only, 

staff may be unhelpful, free Wi-Fi and Internet access, parking-200 

Kč, Rooseveltova 38, tel. 380-711-595, mobile 724-003- 

981, www.pensionteddy.cz, info@pensionteddy.cz). 

$$ Pension Myší Díra (“Mouse Hole”) hides eight sleek, 

spacious, bright, and woody Bohemian contemporary rooms overlooking 

the Vltava River just outside the Old Town (Db-900-1,400 

Kč, bigger deluxe riverview Db-1,900 Kč, prices include transfer 

120-121 12/15/11 12:27:50 PM 

ČEsKý Krumlov



to/from bus or train station, Internet access, Rooseveltova 28, tel. 

380-712-853, fax 380-711-900, www.malecek.cz). The no-nonsense 

reception, which closes at 20:00, runs the recommended boat rental 

company (Půjčovna Lodí Maleček, at the same address), along 

with three similar pensions with comparable prices: Pension Wok 

down by the river, Pension Margarita farther along Rooseveltova, 

and Pension u Hada. 

$$ Pension Anna is well-run, with two doubles, five apartments, 

and a restful little garden. Its apartments are spacious suites, 

with a living room and stairs leading to the double-bedded loft. The 

upstairs rooms can get stuffy during the summer (Db-1,250 Kč, 

Db apartment-1,550 Kč, extra bed-350 Kč, Rooseveltova 41, tel. 

& fax 380-711-692, www.pensionanna-ck.cz, pension.anna@quick 

.cz). If you book a standard Db and they bump you up to an apartment, 

don’t pay more than the Db rate. 

hostels 

There are several hostels in town. Hostel 99 (closest to the train 

station) is clearly the high-energy, youthful party hostel. Krumlov 

House (closer to the bus station) is more mellow. Both are wellmanaged, 

and each is a five-minute walk from the main square. 

$ Hostel 99’s picnic-table terrace looks out on the Old Town. 

While the gentle sound of the river gurgles outside your window 

late at night, you’re more likely to hear a youthful international 

crowd having a great time. The hostel caters to its fun-loving young 

guests, offering a day-long river rafting and pub crawl, with rental 

bikes and a free keg of beer each Wednesday (65 beds in 4- to 

10-bed coed rooms-300 Kč, D-700 Kč, T-990 Kč, Internet access-1 

Kč/minute, laundry-200 Kč/load, use the lockers, no curfew or 

lockout, recommended Hospoda 99 restaurant, 10-minute downhill 

walk from train station or two bus stops to Spicak, Vezni 99, 

tel. & fax 380-712-812, www.hostel99.cz, hostel99@hotmail.com). 

$ Krumlov House Hostel is take-your-shoes-off-at-thedoor, 

shiny, hardwood-with-throw-rugs mellow. Efficiently run by 

a Canadian, it has a hip and trusting vibe and feels welcoming to 

travelers of any age (24 beds, 6 beds in two dorms-300 Kč per bed, 

Db-800 Kč, 2-person apartment-900 Kč, family room, no breakfast 

but there is a guests’ kitchen, DVD library, Wi-Fi, laundry 

facilities, Rooseveltova 68, tel. 380-711-935, www.krumlovhostel 

.com, info@krumlovhostel.com). 

Eating in Český Krumlov 

Krumlov, with a huge variety of creative little restaurants, is a fun 

place to eat. In peak times, the good places fill fast, so make reservations 

or eat early. 


Na Louži seems to be everyone’s favorite little Czech bistro, 

with 40 seats in one 1930s-style room decorated with funky 

old advertisements. They serve inexpensive, tasty local cuisine 

and hometown Eggenberg beer on tap. If you’ve always wanted 

to play the piano for an appreciative Czech crowd in a colorful 

little tavern...do it here (daily 10:00-23:00, Kájovská 66, tel. 380- 

711-280). 

Krčma u Dwau Maryí (“Tavern of the Two Marys”) is a 

characteristic old place with idyllic riverside picnic tables, serving 

ye olde Czech cuisine and drinks. The fascinating menu explains 

the history of the house and makes a good case that the food of 

the poor medieval Bohemians was tasty and varied. Buck up for 

buckwheat, millet, greasy meat, or the poor-man’s porridge (daily 

11:00-23:00, Parkán 104, tel. 380-717-228). 

Cikánská Jizba (“Gypsy Pub”) is a Roma tavern filling one 

den-like, barrel-vaulted room. The Roma staff serves Slovak-style 

food (Slovakia is where most of the Czech Republic’s Roma population 

came from). Krumlov has a long Roma history, and even 

today 1,000 Roma people live in the town. While this rustic little 

restaurant—which packs its 10 tables under a mystic-feeling 

Gothic vault—won’t win any cuisine awards, you never know what 

festive and musical activities will erupt, particularly on Friday 

nights, when the owner’s son’s band, Cindži Renta (Wet Rag), 

performs here (Mon-Sat 15:00-24:00, closed Sun, 2 blocks toward 

castle from main square at Dlouhá 31, tel. 380-717-585). 

Restaurace u Dobráka (“Good Man”) is like eating in 

a medieval garage, with a giant poster of Karl Marx overseeing 

the action. Lojza, who’s been tossing steaks on his open fire for 

years, makes sure you’ll eat well. Locals know it as the best place 

for grilled steak and fish—expect to pay 350 Kč for a full meal. 

He charges too much for his beer in order to keep the noisy beerdrinkers 

away (open daily 17:30-24:00 from Easter until Lojza “has 

a shoebox full of money,” Široká 74, tel. 380-717-776). 

Laibon is the modern vegetarian answer to the carnivorous 

Middle Ages. Settle down inside or head out onto the idyllic river 

terrace, and lighten up your pork-loaded diet with soy goulash or 

Mútábúr soup (daily 11:00-23:00, Parkán 105). 

Rybářská Restaurace (“Fisherman’s Restaurant”) doesn’t 

look particularly inviting from the outside, but don’t get discouraged. 

This is the place in town to taste freshwater fish you’ve never 

heard of (and never will again). Try eel, perch, shad, carp, trout, 

and more. Choose between indoor tables under fishnets or riverside 

picnic benches outside (daily 11:00-22:00, on the island by the 

millwheel, mobile 723-829-089). 

Krčma v Šatlavské is an old prison gone cozy, with an open 

fire, big wooden tables under a rustic old medieval vault, and tables 

122-123 12/15/11 12:27:51 PM 

ČEsKý Krumlov



outdoors on the pedestrian lane. 

It’s great for a late drink or roasted 

game (cooked on an open spit). 

Medovina is the hot honey wine 

(daily 12:00-24:00, on Šatlavská, 

follow lane leading to the side 

from TI on main square, mobile 

608-973-797). 

Restaurace Barbakán is built 

into the town fortifications, with a terrace hanging high over the 

river. It’s a good spot for old-fashioned Czech cooking and beer, 

at the top of town and near the recommended Rooseveltova street 

accommodations (open long hours daily, reasonable prices, Horní 

26, tel. 380-712-679). 

Hospoda 99 Restaurace serves good, cheap soups, salads, and 

meals. It’s the choice of hostelers and locals alike for its hamburgers, 

vegetarian food, Czech dishes, and cheap booze (meals served 

10:00-22:00, bar open until 24:00, at Hostel 99, Vezni 99, tel. 380- 

712-812). This place is booming until late, when everything else is 

hibernating. 

Dobrá Čajovna is a typical example of the quiet, exotic-feeling 

teahouses that flooded Czech towns in the 1990s as alternatives 

to smoky, raucous pubs. Though directly across from the castle 

entrance, it’s a world away from the touristic hubbub. As is so often 

the case, if you want to surround yourself with locals, don’t go to 

a traditional place...go ethnic. With its meditative karma inside 

and a peaceful terrace facing the monastery out back, it provides a 

relaxing break (daily 13:00-22:00, Latrán 54, mobile 777-654-744). 

Český Krumlov connections 

Almost all trains to and from Český Krumlov require a transfer in 

the city of České Budějovice, a transit hub just to the north. České 

Budějovice’s bus and train stations are next to each other. All bus 

and train timetables are online at www.idos.cz. 

From Český Krumlov by Train to: České Budějovice (6/day, 

1 hour), Prague (8/day, 1/day direct, 4 hours; bus is faster, cheaper, 

and easier—see below), Brno (10/day, 1.25 hours), Vienna (6/day 

with at least one change, 5-6 hours), Budapest (6/day with at least 

one change, 10-15 hours). 

From Český Krumlov by Bus to: Prague (7/day, 3.5 hours, 180 

Kč; 2 of the daily departures—12:00 and 16:45—can be reserved 

and paid for at TI, tickets can be bought from driver if seats are 

available), České Budějovice (transit hub for other destinations; 

about 2/hour, 30-50 minutes, 30 Kč). The Český Krumlov bus station, 

a five-minute walk out of town, is just a big parking lot with 


numbered stalls for various buses 

(bus info tel. 380-711-190). A good 

place to buy bus tickets online is 

www.studentagency.cz. 

From Č eské Bud ě jov ice 

to Třeboň, Telč, and Třebíč: 

An express bus goes from České 

Budějovice to the Moravian city of 

Brno (5/day Mon-Fri, 2/day Sat- 

Sun, 4.5 hours). Along the way, 

it stops at Třeboň (30 minutes from České Budějovice), Telč (2 

hours from České Budějovice), and Třebíč (3.25 hours from České 

Budějovice). 

By Shuttle Bus or Private Car to Linz and Beyond: If you 

can get to Linz, Austria, you’ll have your choice of the fast trains 

running hourly from Linz to Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna. 

Two companies with similar pricing run shuttle buses to 

and from Český Krumlov and Linz (3/day, 1.25 hours, 400 Kč), 

Vienna (1/day, 3 hours, 1,090 Kč), and Salzburg (1/day, 3 hours, 

1,090 Kč). Be sure to book in advance, whether you’re going with 

reliable Sebastian Tours (mobile 607-100-234 or 608-357-581, www 

.sebastianck-tours.com, sebastiantours@hotmail.com) or Pension 

Lobo (tel. 380-713-153 or 777-637-374, www.shuttlelobo.cz, lobo 

@ckrumlov.cz; or reserve in person at Pension Lobo at Latrán 73 

or at the main square shuttle office; may cancel with short notice— 

reconfirm the day before). 

124-125 12/15/11 12:27:52 PM 

ČEsKý Krumlov

Sleeping and eating guide - Rick Steves

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?