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| Cesky Krumlov |
Any visit to Czech Republic isn’t complete without a visit to Cesky Krumlov. I’ve certainly mentioned this before and have gone over more of the cultural affairs. Before, as I knew it as some sort of sleepy touristic town, this past weekend I’ve discovered that it’s also not a bad place to party and that it can potentially go on all night long. For my friend’s birthday, I decided to make the trek again, naturally using the Student Agency bus, which is the cheapest, quickest and most direct route to town, and it also has individual televisions and free coffee.
We stayed at a place that’s just on the edge of town, Hostel 99, next to an old bridge that must have served to protect the location some time ago. Hostel 99 comes complete with its own restaurant and bar and a deck with a fireplace and a killer view. However, there’s a caveat to that deck: the neighbors below are known for calling the cops after 10—a norm all across the Czech Republic it would seem. The sign further advised, “Down the street is a little town called Cesky Krumlov, there are a lot of bars that stay open all night long there.”
We stayed at a place that’s just on the edge of town, Hostel 99, next to an old bridge that must have served to protect the location some time ago. Hostel 99 comes complete with its own restaurant and bar and a deck with a fireplace and a killer view. However, there’s a caveat to that deck: the neighbors below are known for calling the cops after 10—a norm all across the Czech Republic it would seem. The sign further advised, “Down the street is a little town called Cesky Krumlov, there are a lot of bars that stay open all night long there.”
It was a strange thing for me to read, as I had already had my vision of Cesky Krumlov, which was only further modulated by our recent visit to Hallstatt, where everything shut down after 7:00. But Czechs are heartier partiers than Austrians, there’s no doubt about that.
The Drinkathon Begins
We began at the Eggenberg brewery restaurant, which is naturally right behind a Catholic Monastery, now the remnants of an old Crusader Order. The monastery construction was started in the 15th century, with the last phase completed in the 17th century. The Communists abolished the monastery and it was in disrepair until about a decade ago, when it was restored and now used as a museum and for conventions.
The Drinkathon Begins
We began at the Eggenberg brewery restaurant, which is naturally right behind a Catholic Monastery, now the remnants of an old Crusader Order. The monastery construction was started in the 15th century, with the last phase completed in the 17th century. The Communists abolished the monastery and it was in disrepair until about a decade ago, when it was restored and now used as a museum and for conventions.
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| The Crusader Monastery |
The Eggenberg brewery makes a decent enough local brew. It’s not too creamy, not too bitter, but neither is it so outstanding. It is however, the mainstay beer of the town. While the brewery restaurant also doesn’t have that outstanding of food, the interior is a great hall with a nice medieval feel to it. Here we racked up beers 1-7.
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| Inside the restaurant |
Live Music
Next stop was Cikanska Jizba, or the Gypsy Bar in English. It’s a small tunnel of a bar, with a busy wait staff and a four-piece gypsy band squeeze around a table, with a guitar, an accordion, a violin, and a bass. This was perhaps the highlight of my evening, given my own love of live music. They prattled on for several hours as we drank up more Eggenbergs and I had a pretty tasty pizza. Not only do they serve pizza, but also other meals from the Roma kitchen. Beer count: 8-12.
Next stop was Cikanska Jizba, or the Gypsy Bar in English. It’s a small tunnel of a bar, with a busy wait staff and a four-piece gypsy band squeeze around a table, with a guitar, an accordion, a violin, and a bass. This was perhaps the highlight of my evening, given my own love of live music. They prattled on for several hours as we drank up more Eggenbergs and I had a pretty tasty pizza. Not only do they serve pizza, but also other meals from the Roma kitchen. Beer count: 8-12.
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| heading to the gypsy bar |
Billiards
Then we went to Barrel Bar, which resembled something of an underground cave. I mean, the top part was a bar, complete with a large post of John Travolta from Pulp Fiction, but then you go down some steps and you’re in a cave with a pool table. We crossed a bridge and turned right to get there, and it was located next to one of my favorite restaurants to eat game meat, Rozmberska basta. At this point I was about 13 beers in, so it seemed like a good place to nap against a wall while everyone else played billiards. One other guy we were with already had his power nap at the brewery, so he was racking up everyone’s cash. A few rounds were on him.
Then we went to Barrel Bar, which resembled something of an underground cave. I mean, the top part was a bar, complete with a large post of John Travolta from Pulp Fiction, but then you go down some steps and you’re in a cave with a pool table. We crossed a bridge and turned right to get there, and it was located next to one of my favorite restaurants to eat game meat, Rozmberska basta. At this point I was about 13 beers in, so it seemed like a good place to nap against a wall while everyone else played billiards. One other guy we were with already had his power nap at the brewery, so he was racking up everyone’s cash. A few rounds were on him.
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| time to rack up the money |
Dancing
We ended the night with only a few of us still standing. We went to a dance club behind the Egon Schiele museum, City Lounge. It was a dance club just as memorable as the name makes it sound, a place you could probably find in any city anywhere in the world, where you can expect to pay double price for your cocktails and meet lots of bros with popped collars.
We ended the night with only a few of us still standing. We went to a dance club behind the Egon Schiele museum, City Lounge. It was a dance club just as memorable as the name makes it sound, a place you could probably find in any city anywhere in the world, where you can expect to pay double price for your cocktails and meet lots of bros with popped collars.
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| the packed dance club |
I remember the place as empty but my friend says it was full of people dancing. Yet, looking back at my pictures, my memory seems to serve better. I think they were empty probably because they had run out of beer and it was four or five in the morning. Any place that doesn’t have beer won’t keep my attention long, so at this point I went and made it back to the hostel.
Cesky Krumlov is also a great day time and family place, and you can keep reading about it here.
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