Český Krumlov

Today we took a train about 3 hours outside of Prague to this storybook town called Český Krumlov. The town sits in a valley, surrounded by a small river, with a castle overlooking it from the hilltop.

My morning was spent exploring the streets and shops and taking in the views. We saw the outside of the castle, which is surrounded by a bear moat, which is exactly what it sounds like. For centuries, Český Krumlov has had a bear moat, as both a fortification and a way to legitimize their rule. The king who installed the bear moat claimed he was a descendant of Italian nobility whose family crest consisted of bears. As a way to cement this claim, he brought bears to his castle as "proof" of his lineage. There have been bears here since the 16th century, and they remain to this day.Read more