The state castle and chateau of Český Krumlov is 30 km away from our pension.
The first written form of the name Chrumbenowe is found in a document of the Austrian and Styrian duke Otakar from 1253. At that time, Krumlov was already the seat of Vítek of Krumlov, a member of the important aristocratic Vítkovci family. The nickname “Czech” has been used in connection with Krumlov since the middle of the 15th century.
With its architectural level, cultural tradition and size, the Český Krumlov State Castle and Chateau is one of the most important monuments in the Central European region. The building layout from the 14th to the 19th century is preserved in the original layout, material composition, interior installation and architectural detail.
The high evaluation of the place from the ranks of domestic and foreign experts gradually led to the acquisition of the status of the highest monument protection. In 1963 the town was declared a city monument reserve, in 1989 the chateau complex was declared a national cultural monument and in 1992 the whole historical complex was inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.
The administration of Český Krumlov Castle as a workplace of the České Budějovice Memorial Institute (www.zamek-ceskykrumlov.eu) ensures the operation of the building with a focus on castle tours, maintenance, construction and restoration work and is also a co-organizer of cultural and social activities at Český Krumlov Castle.
The monumental complex of Český Krumlov Castle and Chateau is situated on an elongated high rocky promontory, which is surrounded by the Vltava River from the south and the Polečnice Stream on the north side. The castle and chateau proudly rise above the small Renaissance and Baroque burgher architecture of the adjacent town. The town with the magnificent church of St. Vitus together with the castle and chateau complex form a unique dominant feature of the whole area. As a precious pearl, the town of Český Krumlov is located in a basin surrounded by the Blanský Forest massif in the north and the undulating terrain of the Šumava foothills in the south and west.
The castle complex is one of the largest in Central Europe. It includes forty buildings and palace buildings centered around five castle courtyards and seven hectares of castle gardens. The floor plan of Český Krumlov Castle shows its area and the location of individual courtyards and buildings.
The name of the Krumlov castle came from the Latin castrum Crumnau or the old German Crumbenowe. It characterizes the natural configuration of the terrain – krumben ouwe, ie a place on a crooked meadow or floodplain. The oldest mention of Krumlov Castle was probably made by the Austrian knight minnesänger Ulrich of Lichtenstein in his poem “Der Frauendienst”, which dates back to the years 1240-1242.