Cesky Krumlov versus Prague

I was in both places this past summer. I personally can't imagine spending a whole week in CK unless it was in the summer and you wanted to just relax and absorb the ambiance and maybe take some raft trips on the river, etc. In March, I definitely wouldn't spend that much time there. My suggestion would be to spend most of your week in Prague (much more to see and do there) and maybe do an overnight in CK to see the town and the castle district. Also, it would be much easier to take a couple of day trips from Prague than from CK, much better train/bus connections.

Have you considered Plzen instead of Cesky Krumlov? Its a lot less touristy and there's enough to keep you busy for three or four days. You will get to visit the world famous brewery there.

Cesky Krumlov is a small picturesque town. Prague is a big picturesque city. Plzen (in German Pilsen) is a midsize town, the 4th largest in the Czech Republic. It has more industry than tourists. The central square with the tallest church tower in C.R. is worth seeing. And of course tour of Pilsner Urquell Brewery. All pilseners are using a method which was invented and first used in Pilsen (Plzen). Pilsen is one of several cities in western and southern Bohemia which were liberated by American army in WWII. Cesky Krumlov is among them, too.

Talk about apples and oranges (or more to the point, mice and gorillas). Cesky Krumlov is a great overnight, but it's small; after a day, unless you really want to rest and do nothing, you will run out of things to see and do. Prague, on the other hand, is a big city with lots of attractions.

Cesky K is incredible!!! Its the sort of place that certain people will return to and spend a week doing nothing. For most of us one night is sort of mandatory if you really want to see the place and avoid the day tourists. Gotten pretty crowded between 11 am and 3 pm over the years.

That having been said, I couldn't spend a week in Prague either. Way too intense for me. My tolerance would be about 3 full days. But that's just my personality; others respond differently and you never what kind you are until you try. That's why its always good to remain a little flexible so you can pack up and move on if your taste demands.

My wife and I spent 3 nights in Cesky Krumlov during their late September St. Wenceslas festival. By the last day we were running out of things to do, and if it weren't for the festival it would have happened much sooner. It was great as an interim stay before plunging into Prague for a week though (we went straight from Prague airport to the bus to Cesky Krumlov, and then returned after the festival to spend the bulk of our vacation in Prague). We could have stayed another week in Prague (with side trips thrown in).

If you want to spend a week in CK rent a car. There's plenty to see in the surroundings, and Southern Bohemia is really lovely. Some ideas: Rozmberk castle, Zlata Coruna monastery, Prachatice, Trebon and Ceske Budejovice (or, a bit farther away but highly recommended, Jindrichuv Hradec and especially Telc), Holasovice (World Heritage Site) and some other cute little villages in the same area. Renting a bike and exploring the little villages around Holasovice was our highlight.
Have a look hhere, this map is really helpful:
http://www.tourmaps.cz

Thanks everyone. Thinking of Prague now and a day trip to CK. May stay there in the future in summertime when I would think of using it as a base.

Gerry

Hi Gerry,

Last June I stayed in Prague for a total of 9 days, and I stayed in Cesky Krumlov for 4 days. I knew 4 days in Cesky Krumlov would be a bit too long, though I wanted to take my time exploring the Old Town and the castle. I was also able to visit two excellent museums, the Regional Museum and the Egon Schiele Art Centrum. On the day before I took the bus back to Prague I was able to walk up to a hill in the outskirts of town, which has excellent views of Cesky Krumlov and the surrounding areas and hills.

Many people do visit Cesky Krumlov as a day trip, and that works too. I believe you mentioned you'll spend more time in Cesky Krumlov on a future trip, and when you do you'll have the time to visit the museums I mentioned.

As for Prague I completely fell in love with Prague. I'm planning a trip to Poland, and after my time in Poland I plan to stop by Prague again.

Have a great trip to the Czech Republic Gerry!

Best Regards,
Ernesto