On the way back to Austria, we first visited our flat in the Bavarian Forest, to check if everything is alright. We then crossed the border into the Czech Republic to explore the Šumava National Park and the Schwarzenberg Canal.
We found a good place for the night in Stožec, where we had a restaurant next to us and could go on a nice walk, before our planned hike the next day. (48.859001, 13.8194)
Also known as the Schwarzenberg Logging Canal as it is a timber floating facility, which was built in the 18th century and was used commercially until the 20th century. It was used to get the timber from the Bavarian Forest to Vienna, where the sharp increase in demand for wood provided a thriving sales market.
We had started our hike at the Hirschenberg Tunnel, where we found a parking. (48,816444, 13,878147) The tunnel is 419 metres long and was dry, but when we got to the other side, we soon walked along a canal containing water. We noticed places where little streams were integrated, and we came past little locks. In total, the Schwarzenberg Canal runs for 51.9 kilometres. We found it a fascinating construction and for sure a technical masterpiece.
From the forest, we made our way to one of the highlights of the Czech Republic – the old city of Český Krumlov.
Throughout history, Český Krumlov Castle has been the seat of powerful Bohemian noble families such as the Witigonen, the Rosenbergers and the Schwarzenbergs. The historic old town was already in 1963 declared an urban conservation area, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.
The castle dates back to 1253 when the first castle was built by the Vítkovci family, the main branch of the powerful Bohemian family Rosenberg. Today, it is formed by forty buildings and palaces, situated around five castle courts and a castle park. The Baroque Theatre from 1767 is one of the best preserved Baroque theatres in the world, but sadly there was no guided tour available that day.
The town preserved the street layout from the Middle Ages and many fascinating houses from different periods. Krumlov is very touristic, with many souvenir shops and tourist from all over the world wandering through the old town and castle – for us a big contrast to the Bavarian forest just one hour ago.
We left Krumlov to find a quiet place for the night, which we found in the little town of Třeboň. We first went for a Bohemian dinner at the restaurant DaMartie and decided to explore the town the next day.
The next morning, we just had a short stroll along the lake to reach the old town. For a long time, the town belonged to the South Bohemian noble families of Rosenberg and Schwarzenberg, who also resided in Třeboň Castle. It is surrounded by many lakes, which are used since the 16th century for fish farming, especially carps. As the weather had improved, we could really enjoy the old town and the castle park.
Today, we also wanted to visit a special castle, not only for its location but also its colour, why it is called Červená Lhota Castle – Červená meaning red.
It is a Renaissance castle in the middle of a lake on a rocky island, lovely reflected in the water. A circular path leads around the fishpond, giving you excellent views.
The four-winged two-story castle, with a small courtyard in the centre, occupies the whole rock and juts into the fishpond. A stone bridge, built in 1622, links the castle with the banks of the pond, replacing the original drawbridge. The interiors have an extensive collection of historic furniture, tiled stoves, pictures, porcelain and other items, which we could visit on a guided tour.
Our next stop was at Telč, to visit its historic centre and go for a coffee and cake at the lovely main square with its beautiful houses.
We crossed the border to Austria afterwards, heading to Unterretzbach, where we had made a reservation at Pollak’s Retzbacherhof for dinner.
For the night we had arranged a place through the app “Landvergnügen”, which provides free places at farms and other small businesses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We are using this app for a couple of months now, and found great places to spend a night. A big thank you to our dear friend Wolfi, who recommended this app, we miss you!
Being back in Austria, we just have a birthday of another friend to celebrate and to do a road trip to Spain, to pick up our vintage Dodge and bring it home. Afterwards, we will finally leave for Ireland – more soon!