We took a three hour bus to Český Krumlov, a small town with 12,000 inhabitants that fills with tourists everyday. The Vltava flows around the town in a horseshoe shape. It was wonderful to wander the streets and stop into the little shops filled with toys and trinkets, souvenirs and clothing, food and drinks…

We had a tour of the Český Krumlov Castle, which sands on top of a hill and dates back to the 1200s. The castle is surrounded by a moat where they keep brown bears. We saw the ancestors of the bears inside the castle… in rug form.

After the tour, we enjoyed an authentic medieval lunch, then explored the gardens and shops some more in the rain.

This isn’t really a custom, but one thing I enjoy about the Czech Republic is the infrastructure. The Vltava runs along the city so that people can ride boats that are accessible through docks. There are multiple public parks that are frequently used for outdoor activities. The trains are easy to use, reliable, and can take you anywhere in the city. The history is preserved in the architecture of buildings, and restoration is completed as needed. I think that the infrastructure allows for people to do more, to see more, and to be more creative.