A Place Called Roam
  • Home
  • Tao of Travel
  • The Best Of
  • Archives
  • About
  • Contact Me

PAST & PRESENT BEST OF HISTORIC CESKY KRUMLOV CITY

11/14/2012

 
I seem to have a thing for old towns.

Several months ago there was South Park, Colorado’s 150-year-old ghost of a town. Several weeks ago there was Cesky Krumlov, the 700-year-old Bohemian medieval city.  
 
What can I say?  Cesky Krumlov (CK) and I are living proof that things just get better with age although 700 years has one too many zeroes for my own aspirations.
I give CK credit for weathering the wretched march of time with distinction and pride.  She’s a special lady after all these years; maybe its high cheek bones or good posture; perhaps her royal connection.  Whatever the events leading to her present day charm, it’s obvious she’s had lots of TLC. The Czech’s are known for their appreciation of their history and heritage.

I was like a pilgrim on a crusade the day my 60-mile journey from Linz, Austria via a bus brought Jim and me and a few new friends to CK. CK didn’t seem to mind the throngs of people.  I did, but what’s a crusader to do.  I prayed for enlightenment.  The town of CK delivered.
Picture
Yeah, this picture should look familiar if you saw yesterday's blog. Can't improve perfection.
It was a beautiful day, a fitting day for stepping into the distant past via Cesky Krumlov.  No dark and dreary weather for this classy medieval town.

The name Krumlov derives from the German “Krumme Aue”, which translates as “crooked meadow”.   The word “Cesky” simply means Czech or Bohemian as opposed to Moravian or Silesian.  Given the topography of the region, even in the dark ages one could see the connection between the tightly crooked meander of the Vltava River and the town that nestled in that crook.  According to records, CK debuted in 1253 although she went by the name of
Chrumbonowe then.
Picture
No, that's not the Blue Danube. It's the Vltava River meandering through the town of Cesky Krumlov.
It was during the rule of the Rosenberg family (yesterday it was Rozmberk, the Czech version; today it’s the translated Rosenberg) that the town of CK grew and prospered.  I was too mesmerized by the colorful facades
Picture
Let's see, by my count, I see maybe 6 houses (full and partial) so far.
and the narrow, cobblestone streets to verify the 96 houses the town boasted in 1376.
Picture
Doesn't get much earthier than this brown facade. It never shows dirt!
Under Peter I von Rosenberg’s rule during the 14th century, he endowed his subjects the right to mill, brew beer, hold markets and sell goods.  It was evident the day Jim and I arrived 700 years later that it was business as usual.  

There were restaurants;
Picture
I'll tell you all about lunch here tomorrow.
art galleries;
Picture
The door alone says classy! Can only imagine the masterpieces inside.
quaint shops;
Picture
This place just oozed charm.
book stores;
Picture
Shakespeare had it so right. "What is past is prologue."
museums;
Picture
I'm not lying! I think Pinocchio might have spent some time here.
several long-standing churches;
Picture
The Marionette Museum is now housed in what was once St. Jost Church.
Picture
Services are still held today in the 700 year old Church of St. Vitus.
darling residences;
Picture
You'd have to pay good money today to achieve this fresco look.
and even a hostel among the classy hotels.
Picture
You get the 7th night free and you're only a block away from the town square.
And of course no medieval town, past or present, would be complete without a town square
Picture
The Marion Plague Column was erected in 1716 to help ward off future outbreaks.
and a good coffee house.
Picture
Eat your heart out Starbucks! This one got the coveted corner spot.
And of course I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Krumlov Castle and the Rosenberg dynasty, the original benefactor of all this glorious commercial, architectural and cultural good fortune.
Picture
Krumlov Castle, a.k.a. Bank of Cesky Krumlov.
Of course, with 700 years separating Peter I von Rosenberg and present day, I did skip a bit of history in lieu of pictures.  Those pictures certainly capture the essence of that history.  But as I wandered the streets of this medieval town that is proudly marching  into in the 21st century, I couldn’t help but wonder how CK managed to escape the steady march of progress.  Who or what circumstances led to this beautiful gift to mankind?

Seven hundred years of nobility (the Rosenbergs, the Luxemburgs, the Habsburgs, the Eggenbergs and the Schwarzenbergs) speaks to who was behind today’s Cesky Krumlov medieval relic.  Money always talks!  

Circumstances, like dominoes standing neatly upright, provided the rest of the pieces of CK’s salvation as history fell into place. 
 
The abolition of aristocratic privilege and World War II brought cataclysmic change to Europe.  Shortly after Adolph zu Schwarzenberg went into exile, the Gestapo took possession of the Schwarzenberg family property, Krumlov Castle.  The year was 1939.  The German occupation
obviously helped spare CK the bombings that decimated so many other historic European cities during World War II.

When the dust settled, Krumlov Castle had been returned to its rightful owner, the Czechoslovak State. The rest is history, as they say, an astonishing piece of history proudly  preserved for all of humanity with its designation as a World Heritage and Cultural Site in 1992.  Kudos to the Czechs and the town of Cesky Krumlov!!!
 
At the end of the day, I didn’t want to leave this cultural and architectural gem. To walk these cobblestone streets in a town bustling with life from both the past and the present I could hear the hum of humanity as clearly as I could see the history come alive.  

It was all truly a thing of beauty!  
Picture
Brian Moll
11/14/2012 01:54:21 pm

Looks like a lot of fun. I am very jealous.

Sherry
11/15/2012 02:19:26 am

Wish we could bring you and Rachel along Brian. Always more fun sharing with family and friends. The blog is the next best thing. Will miss you both over upcoming holidays.


Comments are closed.

    About

    I'm searching for more meaning, magic and mystery in life through travel.  If you're searching for more info about me click on this link.   

    Categories

    All
    Attractions
    Botanic Gardens
    Cities
    Cruises
    Culture
    Europe
    Food
    Fun Foto Friday
    How You Venn?
    Islands
    Lake Geneva
    Life's Mysteries
    Middle East
    Museums/Memorials
    National Historic Landmark
    North America
    Nothing To Do With Travel
    Parks/zoos
    Photos
    Random Thoughts
    Restaurants
    This Thing Called Travel
    Top Ten
    Tuesday Travelista
    UNESCO World Heritage Site
    Who Knew?
    Zen Travel Moment

    View travelbug's photos on Trover

    Blog Roll

    This Is Indexed
    NatGeo Travel
    Science Dump
    Traveler Writers Exchange
    Matador 
    Brain Pickings
    House By the Sea
    Time Goes By
    The Happiness Project
    Dictionary of Obscure 
       Sorrows

    For Automatic Blog Updates
    in same time click the RSS Feed button below and sign up for email notices or click the Like button below for automatic updates to your Facebook page. 

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly