Český Krumlov is a town located in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has approximately 13,000 people living there. The town is a popular tourist spot and one of the most visited places in the country. Its historic center, including the Český Krumlov Castle, is legally protected as a historic area. Since 1992, this area has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its well-preserved buildings from the Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.
Administrative division
Český Krumlov has ten areas (population numbers from the 2021 census):
The main city area includes Domoradice, Horní Brána, Latrán, Nádražní Předměstí, Plešivec, and Vnitřní Město.
Etymology
The name Krumlov comes from an old German phrase, "Krumme Aue," which means "crooked meadow." This is because of a bend in the Vltava River. In the 15th century, the word "Český," meaning "Bohemian" in German, was added to the name to tell it apart from another town called Moravský Krumlov in the southern part of Moravia.
Geography
Český Krumlov is located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southwest of České Budějovice and 134 kilometers (83 miles) south of Prague. The town is found on both sides of the Vltava River. It is located in the foothills of the Bohemian Forest. The highest point in the area is the hill Vyšný vrch, which is 744 meters (2,441 feet) above sea level. The northern part of the area is within the Blanský les Protected Landscape Area.
History
The area has always been home to people because of its convenient location near a river. The oldest known settlement in the region dates back to the Older Stone Age (70,000–50,000 BC). Evidence of a large settlement appears during the Bronze Age (1,500 BC). During the Younger Iron Age (around 400 BC), Celtic people lived there. The first Slavic settlement was established in the 6th century AD. In the Early Middle Ages, trade routes passed through the area along the Vltava River.
Český Krumlov Castle was built shortly before 1250 by a local branch of the noble Vítkovci family, who were descendants of Witiko of Prčice. The first written record of Český Krumlov appears in a 1253 document as "Chrumbenowe." The town was created in two stages. The first part, called Latrán, was built near the castle and mainly populated by people who worked with the castle. The second part, called Old Town, was later established as a new settlement. From the town's founding, both Czech and German people lived there. A Jewish community was recorded in 1334.
In 1302, the Vítkovci family line ended, and King Wenceslaus II took control of the estate and castle. He gave the area to the Rosenberg family, who later made it their main home. Peter I of Rosenberg, who was the Lord Chamberlain of King John of Bohemia, built the current upper castle in the early 14th century. During his rule, the Rosenberg estates thrived. The town reached its greatest prosperity in the 15th century under Oldřich II of Rosenberg, when the estate’s territory expanded significantly.
The Rosenberg family supported trade and crafts within the town. In the late 15th century, gold was discovered near the town, and German miners arrived, changing the ethnic mix even more. Until the 1780s, sermons in one of the churches were given in Czech, but the Church of Saint Judoc was later closed. In 1555, William of Rosenberg joined the separate parts of the town—Latrán and Old Town—into one unified town. In the late 16th century, he rebuilt the castle in the Renaissance style.
In 1602, William’s brother, Peter Vok of Rosenberg, sold Krumlov to Emperor Rudolf II, who gave it to his illegitimate son, Julius d’Austria. After the Bohemian Revolt and the 1620 Battle of White Mountain, Emperor Ferdinand II gave Krumlov to the noble House of Eggenberg, making it the seat of the Duchy of Krumlov. From 1719 to 1947, the castle belonged to the House of Schwarzenberg.
In the 19th century, industrialization and improved transportation led to the demolition of most of the town’s fortifications. In 1910, Krumlov had 8,662 inhabitants, of whom 7,367 (85%) were German and 1,295 (15%) were Czech. After World War I, Český Krumlov became part of the Bohemian Forest Region in the newly formed Czechoslovakia. However, German-Austrian representatives claimed the area should belong to German-Austria. In 1919, the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye confirmed the area as part of Czechoslovakia. In 1938, the region was annexed by Nazi Germany as part of the Reichsgau Oberdonau unit of Sudetenland under the Munich Agreement. After World War II, most of the town’s German population was expelled, and the town was returned to Czechoslovakia.
During the Communist era in Czechoslovakia, the historic Český Krumlov fell into disrepair. However, after the Velvet Revolution in 1989, many of the town’s landmarks were restored, and it became a popular tourist destination. In August 2002, Český Krumlov was damaged by the European floods.
Economy
Český Krumlov is home to several well-known industrial companies. The largest include Linde Pohony, which makes propulsion and control systems for forklifts and is part of the Linde Material Handling group. Another major company is Fronius Česká republika, which produces welding equipment and tools for photovoltaic power plants and is part of Fronius International. Two branches of the Schwan-Stabilo corporate group also operate there: Schwan Cosmetics, which makes cosmetic pencils, and Schwan-Stabilo, which produces writing instruments. The largest non-industrial employer in the area is the Český Krumlov Hospital.
The Pivovar Eggenberg brewery was located in Český Krumlov since 1560. It closed in 2014, and a small historical brewery has operated in its former location since 2016.
Transport
The I/39 road from České Budějovice to Volary goes through the town. The town has direct bus routes to Prague, Linz, Salzburg, and Munich.
Český Krumlov is located on the České Budějovice–Černý Kříž railway. Starting in 2026, the town is served by the intraregional line from Prague to Český Krumlov and the regional line from České Budějovice to Nové Údolí. There are two railway stations in the town: Český Krumlov and Domoradice.
Culture
Český Krumlov holds many festivals and events throughout the year. One of these is the Five-Petalled Rose Festival, which happens on the weekend of the summer solstice. This festival honors the rose from the Rosenberg family crest. During the event, the downtown area becomes a medieval town, with people dressed in medieval clothing, including craftsmen, artists, musicians, and locals. Activities include jousting, fencing, dance performances from the past, and folk theatre in the castle area and along the river. The festival ends with a fireworks show.
The International Music Festival Český Krumlov takes place from July to August. It features music from around the world in different styles. This festival has happened every year since 1992. Other events occur throughout the year. In late June, the Open Air Krumlov festival, which includes blues, rock, and soul music, is held at the Eggenberg Brewery Garden.
Sights
The historic town center with the castle complex has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. It was one of the first in the country to receive this honor. The town has kept the street layout from the Middle Ages. Most buildings in the old town and castle were built between the 13th and 17th centuries. These structures are mostly in Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. The historical area, now called Vnitřní město ("Inner Town"), is located in a horseshoe-shaped bend of the river. The old Latrán area and castle are on the opposite side of the Vltava River.
The center of Old Town is Svornosti Square. Its main landmark is the town hall, built in 1597. This building was created by combining three Gothic houses with arcades. The front of the building was joined with a Renaissance attic.
The town has preserved only a few parts of its old fortifications. These include one town gate built between 1598 and 1602, a bastion from 1505, and remains of zwinger walls.
The Český Krumlov Castle complex is one of the largest in central Europe. It covers an area of 7 hectares (17 acres) and includes forty buildings and palaces arranged around five castle courts and a castle park. The castle is unique because it is surrounded by a moat filled with bears instead of water. This was an attempt by the castle’s rulers to connect with the powerful Orsini family, whose name sounds like the Italian word for bear, "orso."
The castle preserves its Baroque theater, built between 1680 and 1682 under Prince Johann Christian I of Eggenberg. The theater was later updated with modern stage equipment under Joseph I Adam of Schwarzenberg between 1765 and 1766. It is the oldest of the four 18th-century theaters worldwide that still have original scenery, props, and stage machinery. Due to its age, the theater only hosts performances on special occasions. The theater’s equipment is protected as a national cultural monument.
Since 1959, the revolving auditorium has been located in the gardens of Český Krumlov Castle.
The most valuable church and a national cultural monument is the Church of Saint Vitus. It is a late Gothic structure built between 1407 and 1439, with later changes. It was built on the foundation of an older church from 1309. The church is open to the public and still used for religious and cultural events.
The former Church of Saint Judoc in Latrán was closed in 1787 or 1788. Today, it is used for housing and shopping. The tower is accessible and serves as a lookout point.
The Church of the Corpus Christi and the Virgin Mary is located in a complex of three monasteries in Latrán. This complex opened in 2015 after major repairs. It includes former monasteries of Friars Minor, Poor Clares, and Beguines.
The Český Krumlov Synagogue is an Art Nouveau building with Neo-Romanesque features. It was built in 1908 and closed in 1938. Today, it is used for cultural purposes.
Lazebnický Bridge connects the Latrán area and the Old Town. Its current design likely dates from 1834. The bridge stands on a central pillar and two stone supports that hold the steel structure. It is decorated with a statue of St. John of Nepomuck and a cross.
Český Krumlov has a museum and gallery dedicated to the painter Egon Schiele, called the Egon Schiele Art Centrum. In the town center, there is a museum focused on the semi-precious gemstone moldavite.
Other museums include the Castle Museum with the Castle Tower, the Regional Museum in Český Krumlov, the Museum of Marionettes, the Wax Figures Museum, the Museums of Torture Law, the Český Krumlov Monasteries Museum, the Museum Fotoateliér Seidel (a photography museum), and the Museum of Historical Motorcycles.
In popular culture
Český Krumlov has been a filming location for movies and TV shows like The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996), The Scarlet Pimpernel (1999), Hostel (2005), and The Illusionist (2006).