Visit Cesky Krumlov In the Heart of Southern Bohemia to Enjoy Medieval Architecture and Vltava River

Cesky Krumlov, in Bohemia’s deep south, is one of the most picturesque towns in Europe and a short bus ride from Prague 

A Unesco World Heritage Site with a stunning castle above the Vltava River, an old town square, Renaissance and baroque architecture, and hordes of tourists milling through the streets -- you should get out of the town as well to see the people!  Maybe do your own thing for entertainment! There are plenty of bars and riverside picnic spots – in summer the river a popular spot for backpackers. It can be a magical place in winter when the crowds are gone and the castle is blanketed in snow and we saw many photos of that.  We went in the heart of summer.

The bus to Cesky Krumlov was comfortable and took three hours.  This was followed by a walking tour of the town with Stanislaw.  Cesky krumlov is medieval town on the vlatava river. The castle complex is the second largest in Czech Republic.  The town below is full of quaint shops and dining on the river.  Many tourists and locals enjoy the warm weather.  Kayakers and swimmers dot the water and the sound of the river is Mesmerizing.   Tour the castle gardens and grounds for free.  There is a Small fee to enter the castle and tower, but this isn't anything special.  There is a nice terrace half way up to the gardens where beer is about $1 and views of the town are phenomenal.

You will need a power converter for your international trip. Our favorite is the Unidapt for its ability to connect a larger number of electronics at once!  Click the photo below for more information.

Review of Hotel Bellevue

To Check other reviews of the Bellevue Hotel, rates and book at TripAdvisor Click Here!!

The hotel in Cesky Krumlov was not to my standards.  Small room with no air conditioning and little storage.  We asked for a fan immediately.  Beds were comfortable but without air it was hot and noisy with the windows open, so it didn't matter how comfortable they were. The tub was slippery and shower head small.  L'occitaine products were lovely, but overall we do not recommend the Hotel Bellevue except for its location.

Welcome to vbt dinner included champagne, salmon with grain and cheeses followed by a meal of trout, turkey or fried mushrooms at Svejk right below the Castle.  The meal was fair.  The appetizers with champagne were much better.  Fish in Czech Republic is whole with head and bones.  Be prepared.

http://www.svejkck.cz

Get out of the town and enjoy this fascinating culture and cycling is a great way to do that!  

Cycling the following day was warm and through the country side - 30 miles.  Swans and horses were seen everywhere.  Lunch was at a local farm.  This was the best meal we had in all of Czech Republic.  Schnitzel, fresh vegetables, home made soup and vegetable dip, spinach strudel and fried zucchini.  The best was apple strudel, coffee and plum liquor for dessert.  Peter demonstrated the 1950s tractor for us.  They had a lovely outside bedroom for hot summer nights.  The house was interesting and reminded us of an early 20th century motif.

Dinner by the river is a great view and there are several choices!

Dinner at the riverside hotel cafe Laibon was fair.  We enjoyed a good salad with sheeps cheese (feta) and olives and a Chardonnay from Moravia and pork ribs and beer. This was the best wine thus far. The waiter was a bit pushy and we found this unappealing.  The meal cost $45 with a tip.  We paid in euros.  Ask if credit cards are accepted first, but if you pay in cash ask if euros are accepted.  Czechs will convert to euros if you want, but ask ahead of time and be prepared to not receive change.  Tipping is customarily 10%.

Tweet

Prague is a Beautiful and Walkable City for your Healthy and Meaningful Travel

How to Spend Two Days in Prague! 

Transfer to the Hotel was easy.  Our driver was waiting outside Customs in Prague as we expected.  His English was pretty good and our drive to the Maison Riverside was exciting in a Skoda.  The room was larger than expected with a nice view of the river, a separate seating area, and a powder room.  The shower was horribly small with virtually no shelving to put our toiletries while showering.

For your visit, we highly recommend a Travelon Classic Messenger Bag to have purse safer than usual!  There is room for water bottle, RFID pockets with locking zippers and a slash resistant adjustable strap!  Please click the photo below to learn more at Amazon, check for sales and support our blog!  Thank you so much!

Here are photos of our car service and Maison Riverside Room: 

To Check other reviews of the Maison Riverside Hotel, rates and book at TripAdvisor Click Here!!

Dinner the first night was at Cafe Restaurace Strelecky:

http://www.streleckyostrov.cz

It is a sizable eatery with vaulted areas indoor, a large-windowed gallery & a bar, outside cafe on the water and a European menu. We had a delicious risotto with chicken and a house rose.  Wine in Czech Republic is not as tasty as Napa!  The view was gorgeous. The staff was attentive but would not supply tap water and included the gratuity as obligatory.  The prices for dinner was approximately $36 per couple which when considering the view and quantities was outstanding.

A walking orientation to Prague tour with Absolute Tours was arranged for day one.

http://www.absolutetours.com/prague/index.php

We met our guide but  already paid online before arrival. No bathroom there so plan ahead.  Honza was outstanding and very passionate about his country.  His English was excellent and he was very courteous and considerate.  I am very critical of tour guides and I found him to be very knowledgeable and a good communicator.  We liked him so much that we requested him for a tour of Prague castle the following day. He treated us to coffee and made excellent suggestions of unusual  to taste.

Rx Tip: 

 if you don't want to pay for a tour download Rick Steves' podcast and complimentary maps to orient you to Prague.  Bring headphones to walk and listen. It takes about 2-3 hours.

Rx tip: 

pay for tour from TripAdvisor or Viator ahead of time to save time and dollars.

Rx tip: 

bring euros or Czech Crowns to Prague for use anywhere.  Both are accepted.

Rx tip: 

bring refillable water bottle.  Tap water is cold and safe to drink in Prague.  There are numerous spickets with drinking water everywhere.

Lunch location Potrefena Husa which was recommended by our tour guide and was outstanding.  

http://www.potrefena-husa-praha.cz

Sidewalk sitting is the norm in all of Europe.  We enjoyed beer, pickled cheese and schnitzel -- A typical Czech meal. 

Fact:  each Czech consumes an average of 142l of beer annually.  Beer is not expensive and is refreshing.

Fact: on June 1 2017 smoking indoors in Czech Republic is against the law.

Rx tip: Jewish quarter was closed for two days for Shavuot Festival.  Check the orthodox Jewish calendar.  If you plan to visit Roman Catholic venues, check the holy days!

The afternoon was on our own.  We walked to Vyšehrad and toured the graveyard of many famous Czechs and gardens. Vyšehrad (Czech for "upper castle") is a historic fort located in the about a mile from old town. It was built, probably in the 10th century, on a hill over the Vltava River. Situated within the castle is the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul, as well as the Vyšehrad Cemetery, containing the remains of many famous people from Czech history. This is a local favorite. It is interesting how many Czechs were out enjoying the beautiful summer day, including joggers, beer drinkers and even many handicapped individuals.  The view from Vyšehrad Castle is phenomenal and it is free to visit without many tourists.

Dinner was at a pizzeria by the river which is not recommended.  Service was atrocious and food was terrible, beer was good and view of Czech evening activity was delightful as we sat on the sidewalk by  a large intersection  of bridge, cars and trams.

Day two was a visit to Prague castle with Honza.  He took us by tram to minimize the climb and maximize time.  It was fun to experience the old and new style trams.  I wouldn't have taken it myself because walking in Prague is very safe and exciting.

Sites we visited in the castle:

Virgin Mary castle

St virus cathedral

Royal palace

Golden lane

Dungeons

WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND visiting the restaurants at the castle vineyard.  The terrace has a fabulous view of Prague and prices are reasonable.  There is more upscale dining as well.  

http://www.villarichter.cz/page/en/vineyard/

We had cake and coffee for 99 Czech Crowns.  The views of Prague are phenomenal.

During the evening we toured Wenceslas square while listening to Rick Steves' walking tour.  It is an exciting area with very important history for the Czech people. The sunset over Wenceslas Square was beautiful.  

Enjoy the local cuisine of pigs knee, potato salad and beer.  We ate on the square and enjoyed a large meal with beer for $40 per couple.  The restaurant is recommended:

http://www.svatyvaclav.cz/en/

Our healthy vacation will start Cycling from nearby Czesky Krumlov, crossing the border to Passau and onto Vienna!

Make Meaningful and Healthy Travel Happen!  Prague is a very walkable city! 

Tweet

Review of Iberia Business Class Charlotte to Madrid

Iberia Business Class Service is Good And May Offer An Affordable Ticket Compared to Domestic Airlines!

We booked business class flights to Prague via American Airlines codeshare fare with Iberia.

We will start in Prague before a healthy Vermont Bicycle Tour with VBT to Vienna.

Since we travel from Charlotte always, we know everyone, but we will share our experience.  Checkin at priority line was easy with our bags checked through to Prague with priority labeling.  We have already planned on Iberia lounges in  Madrid so that we can freshen up during our layover in route to Prague. We checked in two hours early because it is a holiday weekend and we expected more traffic.  When you book a business class international flight, you are entitled to wait in the American Airlines lounge. You are entitled to 2 coupons each for complementary premium wine, beer, liquor, or bottle water in the lounge.  We had a Matanzas Creek Savignon Blanc and a Tito's black Russian. These are of the better quality then you can receive as a standard member. There is the usual way of soup, cheese, hummus, chips and vegetables at the lounge. At 4 o'clock they have freshly made guacamole to-taste available. There is an upgraded ability to have gourmet coffee of course by a machine.

 The TSA pre-check line was relatively short and quick today compared to usual business days. Charlotte does not have the Clear program in place as of yet.


In Charlotte they do not have showers available for rental, however they do have ample space in the lounges for changing and washing up. Bigelow products are the norm in the lounges.  Wi-Fi access is available and complementary, however during busy times this can be slow.

 The flight itself was comfortable. We started with a sparkling wine. We ordered our meals which were brought promptly to allow for rest. We had the fillet of beef and Prawns. The beef was overcooked but the wine selection was delicious. For dessert we had Ben & Jerry's strawberry cheesecake ice cream which hit the spot. After my movie,  we went to sleep with the Bose noise reducing headphones on as well as my ear plugs. However, despite both we still couldn't sleep since we had a one-year-old in the seats behind us. After a few hours of trying to sleep we got up and watched Rogue One. Going through customs was easy in Madrid. Be aware that it takes quite a lot of time to get from the arrivals area to the connecting gates. You will have to go through security as well.

 The Iberia VIP lounge was difficult to find but it is above the duty-free. The selections of coffee or complicated but typical for European city. There was an array of yogurts, sodas, breads and cheeses but overall we thought breakfast was limited. Wi-Fi was difficult to pick up but once connected, it worked well.  Showers are available. The ladies lounge had soap, hand lotion, and towelettes to use.

Be aware that European Business Class is not like we are used to in the USA.  The seats are not larger, and a 3-3 configuration with the middle seat unoccupied.  This is pretty uncomfortable unless you are in the first bulkhead row, which may have slightly more leg room.  The only benefit that Europe Business class seating affords you is a meal and preferred boarding.  

Make Meaningful and Healthy Travel Happen!

Tweet