Linz and Cesky Krumlov

Our stop in the Czech Republic will be brief. We spent several days in Prague a few years back and hit most of the key spots (including being immersed in a hot tub of beer for a couple of hours) so for today’s visit we’re heading off of the beaten path. We’ll visit a small mountain town located just over the Czech-Austrian border. Thanks to the convenient location by the river, the area has been permanently inhabited. The area's oldest settlement goes back to about 70,000 B.C.

It took us about 90 minutes to get there… and we had to remember our passports, just in case. Best known for the art and architecture of its historic Old Town, Ceský Krumlov also has Bohemia’s second largest castle. During the Communist era of Czechoslovakia, Krumlov fell into disrepair, but since the peaceful revolution of 1989 much of the town's former beauty has been restored. It is now a major holiday destination popular with Germans and Austrians, as well as visitors from abroad. Such a beautiful spot. I think we’ve ranked it our top 3 towns/cities alongside Cortona, Italy and San Sebastian, Spain.

Each person submits a tax of 50 percent of their income back to the state. Average net salary is 24000 euro. I guess the bonus is that medical coverage and university tuition are both free.

Later in the day we did a short walking tour of Linz. The city of Linz perfectly combines modern architecture with historical buildings and sights. We toured through the old city center, the old market, and and along a boulevard of way too many shopping possibilities. As we did this late in the day after our 8 hour trip to Cesky Krumlov, our visit was brief.Read more