Day 10: Cruise - Linz & Cesky Krumlov

Today, Marilyn and I took different excursions while docked in Linz Austria.  I opted for the all day trip to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic and she choose the morning only Linz walking tour.

I joined Richard, Cheryl and Warren on my excursion while Carl choose the walking tour with Marilyn.  We set off by coach for the 1.5 hour drive.  Our guide Sharka lives in Cesky Krumlov with her family so she had knowledge and tips only a hometown person could have.  During the drive she provided some history of the Czech Republic.

They're has been occupied and ruled by many different groups.  It was part of the Astro-Hungarian empire prior to World War I.  At the end of the war in 1918, Czechoslovakia was formed by joining them with the Slovaks.  Hitler and the Nazis occupied the country and settled Germans along the borders with Germany and Austria displacing many Czechs.  The Nazis referred to this land as the Sudetenland.  Following World War II, the Iron Curtain ran along the border with Austria and the Communists.  The communists moved all the Germans out of the border areas and left an empty zone in order to patrol the border.  In 1989 the Velvet Revolution brought the end of the communist rule and the area is now mostly nature areas.  Finally, in 1993 the Czechs and Slovaks decided to split and form separate countries.

We arrived at Cesky Krumlov which is a UNESCO heritage site that has been restored since the end of communism.  We began our tour at the castle which was built in the 12th century and had many additions over the next 3 centuries.  The first owners of the castle were the Rosenbergs who did not manage their wealth very well and had to sell in 1601 to a member of the Hapsburg family.  A unique feature of the castle are the two bear pits by the main gate with live bears in them still today.  The Rosenbergs believed they were related to the rich Italian Orsini family and since the Italian word for bear is Orso they had bears put in.

The first view of Cesky Krumlov

The gardens of the castle

Colourful fall flowers

A view of the old town from the castle

A view of the Vltava river flowing around the old town

The castle courtyard has colourful murals

The tower has original 17th century murals

Courtyard fountain

One of the two bears guarding the castle

The old town below the castle is surrounded by an almost circular loop of the Vltava river.  The buildings have all been restored to shops and restaurants with terraces overloooking the river.  We enjoyed some lunch and good Czech beer at a patio on the main town square.  The beer was a Budweiser, a local brand made for hundreds of years.  Its much better than the more famous brand whose name was stolen by Annhieser Busch.

Alley showing local art works

A river view

Richard, Warren and Cheryl enjoy lunch on the patio

The "original" Budweiser

Roof tops of Cesky Krumlov

Fountain in town square

Warren, Cheryl & Richard in the old town

Sharka, our guide met us at 3:00 for the bus ride back to the ship.  It was a quiet ride with only the sound of the occasional snorer.  Marilyn, Cheryl and I went into Linz before to dinner to sample the Linz torte she discovered.  Delicious!   

Marilyn savors the Liz Torte

The group at dinner sharing stories of the day

Statue in the main square of Linz

Linz street night views

Dinner saw the two groups sharing stories about what they saw.  Marilyn and I took a night stroll through Linz while the rest of the group went back to their cabins.