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Český Krumlov (German: Böhmisch Krumau, or Krummau) is a town in the
South Bohemian Region in the Český Krumlov district, 22 km southwest
of České Budějovice. It lies under the crest of the Blanské les and
the Vltava River flows through it. It is a tourist and cultural
center of southern Bohemia. Approximately 12 thousand inhabitants
live here.
In the past, Český Krumlov was the seat of many
powerful Czech families - the Vítkov family, the lords of Krumlov,
the Rožmberk family, the Eggenberg family and the Schwarzenberg
family, who purposefully took care of its construction and
representative character. Český Krumlov was also the main
administrative center of the Rožmberk Dominion and, until 1918, of
the Krumlov Duchy and the Schwarzenberg Dominion.
The
medieval center of the city, which surrounds the meanders of the
Vltava, has been a city heritage reserve since 1963 and has been
inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1992[4]. In 2003,
the suburb of Plešivec (south of the historic core) was declared a
city monument zone. Český Krumlov has also become the scene of
several films, and during the year the city hosts a number of
cultural events and festivals - Five-leaf Rose Festival, MHF Český
Krumlov, Český Krumlov Rally.
Together with other towns in
the Šumava foothills, such as Sušice, Vimperk, or Prachatice, it is
often called the Gate of the Šumava Mountains. At the turn of the
19th and 20th centuries, Český Krumlov was perceived, especially
among Šumava writers and poets, as the capital of Šumava, which in
1918 Český Krumlov briefly became during the existence of Šumava
County.
Cesky Krumlov Castle
Cesky Krumlov Castle is located on a rocky bank above Vltava River. First historic records about its existence date back to 1240. Historians believe that Cesky Krumlov Castle was constructed by the Vitkovich dynasty. Subsequent owners of the citadel changed the appearance of the fortress several times. It has elements of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architectural styles. In 1992 complex of Cesky Krumlov Castle including towers, bridges, castle theater and other facilities were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Upper Castle is located in the third courtyard of the Cesky Krumlov Castle. It was constructed in stages between 14th and 18th centuries under supervision of architects Eritsera Vlach, Baltazar Maggi of Arogno and artist Gabriel de Blonde. Cesky Krumlov Caslte lost much of its original military importance so their alteration to the overall citadel were decorative in nature.
The main building of the Upper Castle is a Palace of the Rosenbergs surrounded by two squares. Cesky Krumlov Castle is constructed on a rocky outcrop that serves as a foundation of the palace. Stone base is honeycombed with underground passages that served for storage. Elements of the Gothic style are only preserved in the Eastern part of the Upper Castle. It includes Saint George and Saint Catherine Chapel and Romanesque House.
Castle Theatre (Městské divadlo)
Kaplicka 2, Horni Brana
Tel. +(420) 380 711 775
Official site
The Castle Theatre of Cesky Krumlov Castle is small theatre that was constructed in the 5th courtyard of the Cesky Krumlov Castle. It is connected with the Cloak Bridge via a covered corridor that leads from the Masquerade Hall to the royal box of the Castle Theatre. The building that houses Castle Theatre was renovated in 1993 adding new technologies while keeping its 500 year old charm. Today the theater is open to the public. Its season lasts from September to June holding performances of various genres: drama, plays, musicals, operettas and others. City Theater is not very big by size. It holds only 280 spectators with a total of 20,000 visitors each year.
Church of Saint Vitus
Constructed: 1340
The main church of Cesky Krumlov is Saint Vitus Cathedral that was constructed in 1340. It stands on the bank of the Vltava river on the hill opposite side of the Cesky Krumlov Castle. Church of Saint Vitus is 44 meters long, 20 meters wide and high. It was consecrated a full century after its construction began. Over a course of several centuries the church was rebuilt and reconstructed several times.
The main altar of Church of Saint Vitus was added in 15th century along with beautiful frescoes that surround it. Just to the left of the altar you can see a small chapel of Saint John of Nepomuk with red marble tombstones and the burial place of the Rozhemberk family as well as Scwarzenberg dynasty.
Former Jesuit Seminary (Cesky Krumlov) (Bývalý jezuitský seminář)
Horni 152
Former Jesuit Seminary is a former Roman Catholic University intended to prepare new Catholic priests. Original education complex was consisted of six Baroque buildings that were constructed in 1650- 1652. After the dissolution of the Jesuit order in 1773 Jesuit Seminary was abandoned by the church and instead it was nationalized by the state. In 1950 government of Cesky Krumlov turned Former Jesiut Monastery into a vast historic museum that holds a collection with nearly 34,000 artifacts dedicated to the history of Cesky Krumlov and the surrounding lands. This include items discovered during archaeological digs, ethnographic tools, artistic masterpieces and many others. One of the most famous artifacts is a unique ceramic model of the historical center of Cesky Krumlov as it existed in 1800. All the buildings of the time period were made at a scale of 1:200.
The name Krumlov comes from the German Krumme Aue (crooked river in Czech), which refers to the city's location between the ace-shaped bends of the Vltava River. Among other things, the name of the Austrian river Kamp, on which the town of Krumau am Kamp is located, whose name also comes from the similar Old High German krump, is derived from a similar Celtic base kamb. In the first surviving mention from 1253, Krumlov is referred to as Chrumbenowe, in Latin documents it is then called Crumlovia or Crumlovium. The name Krumlov nad Vltavou also used to be used. The suffix Český began to be added to the name of the town as early as 1439 to clearly distinguish it from Moravian Krumlov. In the German language, the name Böhmisch Krumau was not used much in the past, as it could not be confused with Krumlov in Moravia (Kromau in German). Officially, however, the name Český Krumlov was only used by a decree of the Ministry of the Interior from April 30, 1920. During the German occupation in 1938–1945, the word Český was removed from the name, and the city was officially called Krummau an der Moldau (Krumlov nad Vltavou in Czech) during that time.
Czech and German residents have lived side by side since the city was
founded. With the development of mining already in the Middle Ages,
German quickly began to prevail in the town, which is why in the 19th
century, 72% of the town's 8,300 inhabitants spoke German and 18% Czech.
However, the Second World War ended the sometimes wild, sometimes
peaceful coexistence of Czechs and Germans in Český Krumlov after 700
years. In 1938, the majority of the Czech population had to leave the
city, after 1945, on the contrary, the vast majority of the German
population.
As of September 24, 2007, of the 14,056 inhabitants,
14.7% were under the age of 15. According to census data, 26% of the
city's residents were religious. Approximately 93% of the population
claimed Czech nationality, 2% Slovak nationality, and 1% German
nationality.
The transformation of the economy after 1989 meant the demise of some
Krumlov racing enterprises, e.g. the OTAVAN clothing factory. On the
other hand, thanks to the tourism industry, many jobs have been created
in services, especially in accommodation and hospitality. Today, tourism
is the basis of the local economy. It focuses on Czech and foreign
visitors, participants of local festivals and boaters on the Vltava. The
main tourist season takes place in the summer months.
In the
north of the city, on the outskirts of Domoradic, a new industrial zone
was established in the 1990s. Among the food businesses operating in the
city are bakeries, a branch of South Bohemian dairies Madeta and the
local Krumlov brewery, formerly known as Eggenberg.
Unemployment
in the city was 3.61% as of April 30, 2018.