The Vltava makes a series of tight loops through the south Bohemian hills, and Český Krumlov sits inside one of them like a stone kept in a closed hand. The old town, the castle on its rock above the river, and the bridges and rooftops are all squeezed into the bend. It is a very small place, only about fourteen thousand people, but it has the air of something much larger, because for centuries it was the seat of powerful noble families, first the Rosenbergs and later the Schwarzenbergs and Eggenbergs, who built and rebuilt the castle until it had grown into dozens of buildings around a string of courtyards.
The castle has a famous Baroque theatre, one of the best-preserved in Europe, with its original stage machinery, and a tower that you can climb for the view across the red roofs. The moat is home to bears, a tradition that goes back centuries and that visitors either love or find a bit strange. The painter Egon Schiele, whose mother came from here, lived in the town for a short time and left an art centre in his name.
This is a day trip on the way between Austria and Bohemia, since the ride runs from Schlögen on the Danube, and the road north over the border passes through quiet wooded hills, with small villages and long views across the forests of the Šumava. Surfaces vary, the bends are mostly gentle and traffic can be heavy on weekends. The last stretch into town is narrow and slow, and the old centre is largely closed to cars, so park outside and walk in.
There are fuel stations on the approaches, and the town has more restaurants than you will ever need, many of them offering Czech classics: roast pork, dumplings, goulash, and trdelník, the sweet rolled pastry that is sold on every corner. Afternoons in summer are busy, and the best light and the least crowd come early in the morning or at dusk, when the river lights up under the castle.
Spring and autumn are quieter. If you can, walk down to the river and watch the rafts and canoes go by, because this is also one of the great paddling rivers of Central Europe.