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The most-visited site in town and is composed of the Little Castle (Hrádek) hosting the Castle Museum, the six-storey Chateau Tower from the Renaissance period, the Chateau, the Baroque Castle Theatre, the Chateau Garden, the Gothic Wenceslaus Cellars, and a lapidary with stone sculptures. You can walk through the complex for free, or you can pay for a visit to the Castle Museum, the observation gallery of the Chateaux Tower, two different guided tours of the Chateau interiors or the Baroque Castle Theatre. Plan at least two hours for your visit, and buy supplies for a picnic lunch in the Chateau Garden at the grocery across the ulice from the entrance on Latrán.
The best approach to the castle is from Latrán. Walk through the red iron gates to the first courtyard that houses the Unios Tourist Information center, public washrooms, a souvenir shop, Doxa Galerie, and in the summer months, a tropically inspired mixed drink stand serving up mojitos, caipirinhas, and daquiris. As you approach the Little Castle, you cross the Bear Moat, where the famous Krumlov bears gambol about lazily. Put a few coins in the slot to help keep them fat and happy..
The second courtyard features the entrance to the Castle Museum and the Chateau Tower (80Kč and 50Kč respectively, 130Kč combined). After slogging up the vertiginous staircase, you are treated to a 360-degree view of the town. The second courtyard also hosts a small fountain, and the main ticket office where you can book scheduled tours of the interior to the Chateau and the one-of-a-kind Baroque Castle Theatre (consider buying the tickets in advance if you would like to attend the tours as the entrance to the tours is quite distant from the ticket office and you may find it tiring to walk back all the way once you reach there). The restaurant Maselnice, across from the ticket office, is a good place to stop for refreshment..
Tours of the castle interior begin in the third castle courtyard, where you will find another souvenir store and the entrance to the Wenceslaus Cellars (60Kč), which now houses modern ceramic art pieces. Plaštovy Most, or the “Cloaked Bridge” is covered by a walkway that leads from the Chateau to the Baroque Theatre, and affords another sweeping view of the town. Continue to walk uphill and you will find the entrance to the monumental chateau gardens. A newly restored fountain, maze of hedgerows, a revolving theatre jihoceskedivadlo.cz/otacivehlediste/?m=2&l=en and a Medieval-style restaurant, Marketa beckon. At the far end of the gardens, you’ll find a lush duck pond, situated in a stand of moody, gnarled trees. This is the perfect picnic spot.
The Baroque theatre is the only one in Europe that survives in its original 18th century form with no modern additions. This means that stage sets are still operated by manual labour, and candlelight is still used to illuminate the stage and orchestra pit. Period performances of operas are occasionally performed at the theatre.
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There are interactive exhibitions and nice gardens.
Permanent exhibitions of Bohemian antiques, geological fossils, archeological finds from the nearby Celtic oppidum, and interesting rotating exhibits of local interest. On the top floor, check out the ceramic scale model of Český Krumlov at the turn of the 19th century, when eight more towers and spires decorated the landscape.
If you think you know Český Krumlov well and nothing can surprise you, do night-rafting. You will explore historical centre of Český Krumlov in very different way. You ride down the river with a guide. For your safety you get life jackets and there is a guide who goes with you. Trip planning services are available, as well as either one day long or multiple-days trips. Canoes, rafts, kayaks, (big red) water tubes and paddleboards available.
Egon Schiele, one of the world’s most famous artists, was a contemporary of Gustav Klimt. He set up his easel for a short time in Český Krumlov, painting the tortured landscapes of his famous Dead Town series, and young girls in compromising poses. The townspeople labeled him a perverted pornographer, and drove him out.
Rent a boat or take the historical wooden raft tour with guides and commentary in English.