On the morning of day six, we left Karlovy Vary and headed towards Český Krumlov. It was a pretty long drive, but the road took us through stunning scenery—beautiful forests, fields, and tree-lined avenues.
As we got closer to our destination, we made a stop in another pretty city, Hluboká nad Vltavou. In my opinion, it has the most beautiful castle I’ve seen in Czechia so far. It looks more like a grand palace than a typical castle, with its elegant white façade and fairytale charm.
Originally built in the 13th century as a Gothic fortress, it was transformed into its current Neo-Gothic style in the 19th century.
The castle is also known for its luxurious interiors and an impressive collection of art. Unfortunately, you can only go inside with a guided tour, and the next available English tour was an hour away. So, we decided to skip the interior and just walk around the stunning grounds instead.
Sadly, we had to leave without exploring the city because we had a scheduled tour at a brewery in Český Krumlov. Spoiler alert: that brewery tour was totally not worth it, and I really regretted skipping the castle tour at Hluboká. If I could do it again, I’d definitely stay.
When we arrived in Český Krumlov, we headed straight to the Port 1560 Brewery. The name makes it sound like it’s a historic brewery, but in reality, it’s not one of the long-established historical breweries like you might expect from its name. Instead, it’s more of a modern craft brewery set in a historical setting. The brewing itself pretty modern, which was a bit of a letdown after expecting something with a rich, centuries-old vibe, old cellars.
The tour at Port 1560 Brewery wasn’t all that exciting. The guide spent some time talking about the history of the building—who owned it first, then next, and so on. After that, we got a bit of a lecture on the technological details of beer making, followed by a quick look at a few rooms with brewing tanks. It ended with a tasting of one of their beers. Not the best we tried so far. Honestly, the Beer Museum in Prague was much more interesting and informative.
After a bit of a disappointing start with the brewery, we headed to the city and checked into our hotel. And wow! Český Krumlov became the highlight of the trip. But first, I have to say, our hotel, Ruze, was incredible. It’s in a prime location, set in an old monastery that’s been transformed into this charming, medieval-style hotel. The decor is full of ( most likely fake) antique, but still… I could’ve easily spent an hour just walking around, viewing the paintings and details. And the hotel has a terrace bar and restaurant with a gorgeous view overlooking the river.
Český Krumlov is absolutely charming. There’s so much to say about this picturesque little town, from its cobblestone streets to its fairytale castle. Every corner of the city feels like you’ve stepped into a different era, and the atmosphere is just magical. Definitely a place worth its own post!
