The abundance of beautiful old architecture, the location in a horseshoe bend of the Vltava river and the nearby hills, they all make the town very picturesque. Its history dates back to the 13th century.
The architecture in the historic core of Český Krumlov has remained largely intact over the course of centuries. It is an excellent example of an old Central European town. There were many such towns all over Central Europe, but most of them suffered damages during wars or their architectural heritage was destroyed in order to make space for more “modern” buildings.
In contrast to the fate of many such towns, Český Krumlov evolved peacefully and managed to preserve its heritage. New generations added their contributions without completely destroying what they had inherited. The old architecture and the street layout was preserved to such an extent, that the town was designated a World Heritage Site.
