When we came here in 2010, we had drove in for the day and parked opposite the main entrance under the bridge. This was now an aire without services. (https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/parkovani-karavanu/). A great place to park up if you want a quick visit into the town. 400K (€17) for 24 hrs or 50K per hour.
We had been travelling a bit over the last few days and wanted somewhere to relax. Also we didnt want to get loads of Czech crowns converted as we preferred to use our Chase card. Just outside the town we stopped at the local Tesco for more "provisions" (yes Tesco superstore with lots of local beer, unfortunately our clubcard wasn't valid)
A few miles from the Center of Cesky Krumlov was a campsite with such good reviews I thought they must all be fake. After the fiasco with the last two sites I rang them to book a pitch but the owner said there was no need. He also said we could pay by card for the site and the restaurant, which meant we needed less money changing.
Czechia now has a toll system but its not clear where you need it. Fortunately you pay pay electronically for how long you want which we did from here https://edalnice.cz/#/validation.
We arrived at Camping Chvalsiny. The couple that ran the site were very friendly and gave us cycle track info to avoid the main road as well as the info on the aire.
The site was massive and the only people on it were dutch. We were told it was owned by a dutch couple for years. Whenever in europe we had always followed the dutch and if we arrived at a site with loads of them on we knew we would be okay.
Owner said go where you like and we picked a nice grassy spot with a bit of shade from a large tree. Sam loved the open space and was able to run about, something he couldn't do before.
There was a salt water swimming pool, the toilet block was quite new and there was a new bistro that was run by a local couple separate from the site.
The next day we cycled to the town. I knew Paul and Ang would be impressed and tried to keep it a bit of a secret and not build it up too much. When they saw the Cloak bridge they were very impressed.
Once in the town they were gobsmacked. As we went through the streets Paul said "it just keeps giving". We spent a few hours on the bottom of the town and walked every street. We would save the castle for the next day.
We headed back to the site and booked a table in the bistro. for when it opened at 7pm. Paul and me got a burger and Angela and Ang got a steak. It was all fabulous but the steak looked fantastic. It was that good we all went back the next day and all had the steak.
The next day in the town, we went up the hill and across the bridge into the castle.
Just outside there is a bear pit. I remembered it from 13 years ago and thought that there would not still be bears in it, as they had been all them years ago. Unfortunately the bears were still there.
The entrance into the castle is very grand, the walls are painted so as to look like real stone. It works until you get close.
Here is where we bumped into the throng of Japanese tourists again. All desperate for the same photo and all posing the same pose with the V sign.
Mind you you do get a great picture from here.
Cesky Krumlov had turned into the highlight of the tour. Along with the campsite and the food it had been a great few days. Next we would head to our big destination Prague.
