Cesky Krumlov. Never in my life had I heard about this town… until I started working for G. When I first saw the trip I was going to run, I was a bit confused. Why would they put me in an area I barely know and do not speak the language of. But I guess anyone can learn and make a place their own. So I found out why this is the perfect trip for me: it is filled with castles! Cesky Krumlov is the smallest town we visit, but has the 2nd largest castle complex in central Europe! It’s truly amazing and looks stunning, especially in the sunshine. The next day it was a bit dreary and cloudy, so I decided to do one of the tours going through the castle. The tour focused on the original interiors of the Baroque and Renaissance. Unfortunately you were not allowed to take photos inside.
First we listened to a story in St. Georges chapel. The chapel was made so the servants could sit downstairs in the cold and the noble men upstairs with the heating. The chapel still had an organ and was pretty, but it was just the start of what we were about to see. We only saw a small portion of this gigantic castle, but I’ve decided to do it bit by bit and thereby saving some for the rest of summer. I learned about the families that used to own the castle. The Rosenbergs, who put bears in the moat to prove that they relate to some noble Italian family and the Eggenbergs who’ve got a brewery named after them.
One room, the Eggenberg hall, had a golden carriage on display. The carriage was designed for Johann Anton of Eggenberg for a single event and only went for about 12 kilometers before it was put in some garage. Later it was transported to Cesky Krumlov and has been decorating one of the gigantic castle rooms since 1674. Not that the rooms needed more decorations. The walls were beautifully painted and the ceilings were stunning. Most of this was still Original from the 16th century!
During the tour we also saw some furnished rooms, like the antechamber, lounge and dining room. In the bedroom there were some original pieces, as well as furniture from later on in the 19th century. The cherry on the cake was the Masquerade Hall. What a gem! Two painters worked 6 months on this masterpiece. There were paintings of people at a masquerade. They were all different and all the groups were interacting, from the ladies to the people watching through the window. The head painter even managed to put himself in the picture. I could have stayed here a lot longer, but unfortunately my time was up. In my head I waltzed through the hall. How wonderful would it be to go to a party here!
