You can still see–and smell–the legacy left by the Soviet Union throughout Eastern Europe. Gloom mostly, drab ugliness brought about by enforced allegiance to a decidedly uncaring government. Air pollution, abandoned factories, slag heaps, dirty brown concrete houses. And, especially, the hideous multistory apartment blocks that were socialism’s answer to urban living.
But in the Czech Republic, the grime and colorless despondency created by 50 years of Communist rule are disappearing rapidly, leaving in their place some of the best and most colorful medieval towns and villages in Europe.
Cobblestoned city centers with buildings dating to the 14th and 15th Centuries and later are being repaired, repainted, renovated, opened for business. It’s almost impossible to visit any town without discovering a fine castle, or a sparkling Renaissance city square, or 400-year-old pastel-colored houses looking brand-new in the Czech sunlight.
And there is a grand irony in all this: It was the inertia of Communism that saved many national treasures. In Western Europe and the United States after World War II, there was an urge to modernize everything, tear down the old, raise up the new. The result often was not pleasing, as a walk along Berlin’s Kurfurstendamm will prove.
Today, the Czech Republic is full of new gas stations, stores are full of consumer goods, the roads are full of modern automobiles, new hotels and pensions are opening every day, and some sort of miracle has taken place. This country is now, in truth, not much different from its Western European neighbors.
Harken: Almost everybody takes credit cards, there is almost always hot water in the bathrooms, the phones work, there are color TV sets in most hotel rooms and–the real difference between Then and Now–the Czechs don’t treat tourists like mushrooms any more.
Whether it’s an attempt to cash in on the exploding tourism market here or just civic pride, the towns and cities that are fortunate enough to have historic central cores are hard at work with renovations and remodeling. The results are so appealing, it becomes very hard, after a time, to pick which city or village is the most attractive. Many of the better preserved old towns have been put on the UNESCO world heritage list.
Trying to visit as many as possible is the solution, and a pleasant task it is. Many visitors to this country make a very bad mistake by confining their stay to Prague. Prague is horribly overrun with tourists. It’s outrageously expensive–a standard room in a top hotel in town goes for a minimum of $300 (if there are any rooms available, that is). A cheap, musty pension room away from the city center goes for $50, about what you’d spend for a good three-star facility out in the boonies.
Prague is hot and steamy. It looks like New York City with a castle. It’s worth a couple of days. The real Czech Republic is out in the countryside, in places such as Cesky Krumlov.
Krumlov is an absolute gem, a town right out of central casting. It is, quite simply, one of the most beautiful little spots in Europe and getting more scenic every day. It’s easy to get to, only a few miles north of the Austrian border, and has a stash of restaurants, great views, good hotels and prices maybe half what you face in Prague.
But as indicated, Krumlov is just one town in a country filled with medieval beauties. Wandering the countryside, through the regions of Moravia and Bohemia, you’ll find surprises around every bend. (And you’ll also see the darker side of Czech life in some of the uglier industrialized cities.)
Some for instances:
In the sleepy city of Litomysl, about 100 miles east of Prague, the city square is what is referred to as “Renaissance arcaded,” meaning stores and sidewalks on the sides of the square are covered by stone arcades. In the center of one stretch of arcade is Charlie’s Restaurant, where you can pig out on exceptional food and good Czech beer for maybe $20 a couple. (It costs that much to park your car for 24 hours in an underground shelter in Prague.)
The restaurant has one of the most eclectic menus in Europe, everything from eel to ostrich steaks, and a wine list that would be at home in the Napa Valley.
Litomysl also was the home of the famous composer Bedrich Smetana, and the city also has one of the finest Italian-style Renaissance castles in Europe.
Just to the north of Cesky Krumlov is the city of Cesky Budejovice, famous as the home of Budweiser beer–not the crummy American stuff, but real, honest-to-God Czech beer. (The Czechs say the Anheuser-Busch folks stole the Budweiser name when they started the brewery.) Nowhere near as attractive as Krumlov, Budejovice still manages to have one of the largest Middle Ages squares in the country.
(And, as anyone who has been to Europe can attest, you aren’t a veteran here unless you climb a few towers, and the one in Budejovice is 72 meters high, dates from 1555 and has 225 steps–good basic training for the rest of the trip.)
The highway between Budejovice and Brno, southeast of Prague, is lined with special places. Try Trebon, for instance, where there is a long central square with pastel-colored buildings housing stores and restaurants. The city castle is closed at the moment because it, like many of its kind, is being restored.
A bit farther on is Telc, where the square is bounded by 16th Century Renaissance houses and more arcaded sidewalks. Or go northeast of Prague about 40 miles and inspect the lovely city square at Jicin.
A bit farther to the west of Jicin is the area known as the Cesky Raj (Czech Paradise), a land of limestone crags and rolling forests in the valleys of the Jizera River. It’s a protected area with designated hiking areas and a far cry from the noise and exhaust fumes of Prague.
So, the moral here is simple: Get outta town. Any direction yields castles and ancient houses, crisp forests and craggy hills. And there is no better place to start your tour of the Czech Republic than Cesky Krumlov, probably the best of the best. The rebirth of this ancient city says more about the soul of the Czech people than any travel brochure. . . . Out of the darkness, into the light.
DETAILS ON CESKY KRUMLOV
Getting there: Cesky Krumlov is about 30 miles north of Linz, Austria, or 100 miles due south of Prague. It sits on the bend of the Vltava River (which also flows past Prague). The old city sits on a thumb of land with the river on two sides. The main square is often closed to cars unless you are staying at a hotel on or near the square.
From Prague there are eight daily train departures to Cesky Krumlov from the Central Train Station. You can also get there by bus. Both train and bus prices are cheap — under $2 for the three- to four-hour trip.
(Car rental is expensive in the Czech Republic because of high insurance costs. We rented our car in Germany for the Czech trek and trip though the Balkans.)
What to see: The Gothic castle towering above the old city is well worth a visit and is rated as the second best of its kind in the country, the first being Prague Castle. The towering gate above the river is amazing. Guided tours of the castle are about $1 per person.
One of the most distinctive buildings in town is the gaily painted Round Tower next to the castle — 178 feet high, 280 feet above the river, 12-foot-thick walls, 162 steps.
Where to stay: The major hotels are the new and expensive Hotel Ruze (housed in a 16th-Century building that was once a Jesuit seminary) and the former government-run Hotel Krumlov. Try the Krumlov which, while a bit long in the tooth, is ideally located right on the city square. The Ruze is a bit farther. Rates at the Krumlov run about $45 double. It’s nothing fancy but quite acceptable.
Shopping: There are a number of shops that sell Czech porcelain and Czech crystal.
Information: The Czech Republic Tourist Information Office, Czech Center, 1109-1111 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10028 (212-288-0830).
