There are only a few cities that look exactly like the photos you see online when researching your destination and Český Krumlov is definitely one of them. That beautiful panorama view over the city is not just a beautiful drone image, but something you can actually enjoy when visiting Krumlov. This picture-perfect town has many viewpoints offering you the best views, meeting all your expectations. You can see the red-tiled roofs, a meandering river, the church tower and the large castle with that typical tower from many different viewpoints. Where you can find them? We got you covered! This blog post will list the 6 best viewpoints in Český Krumlov, including where to find them and all free of charge.
The 5 best viewpoints in Český Krumlov
#1 The famous Krumlov viewpoint with a castle view
The most famous viewpoint in Krumlov is the tiny park at Seminarni zahrada, which is the garden of the seminary. It isn’t even that high, but you don’t need that at this small park to have a great view. The viewpoint shows you one of the best castle views in town with its unique tower right in front of you. You can clearly see the extensive layout of the castle from here, showing you the size and extent of the castle complex is. It extends all the way from the greenish roof on the right to the building after the Cloak Bridge on the left.
#2 The vista from the castle
The castle itself has a great view over Krumlov as well. The most obvious place to go is the high castle tower that dominates the cityscape. You need to buy a separate ticket to climb it. But what if we tell you that you can enjoy a similar view for free?
There is a small window vista in the castle itself. You don’t need a ticket to get there, as it’s part of the freely accessible public road that leads through the castle and along the five courtyards. You can find the vista between the second and third courtyards, where you walk through the castle in a kind of tunnel. An open door leads to a kind of small balcony from which you can look out over the city and the river. This point is closed in the evening and at night, but it opens early in the morning.
#3 The view from the Cloak Bridge
The Cloak Bridge is one of the most beautiful parts of the castle, but it’s also one of the best viewpoints in Český Krumlov. The bridge was once the highest stone bridge in the Czech Republic when it was built, so you know you’re in the right place for a great view of the city. We found out that it is even open to visit late at night, when the city was slowly getting dark and you could see lights rising everywhere. A fairytale face!
You will of course not see the well-known castle from this viewpoint in Český Krumlov, because the bridge is part of it and so you are – but you can see the cathedral, red roofs, a chapel on the hill in the distance and you are right on the bend from the river which is an extra pretty sight.
#4 Viewpoint at the patio near the castle gardens
Ten meters past the Cloak Bridge, a doorway leads you to a sort of patio where you have a view of the city similar to that from the Cloak Bridge. It can be quite busy here, as the view is spectacular. So you might want to head there in the early morning as we did with our baby girl. We had both the Cloak Bridge and the patio all to ourselves for two mornings in a row.
The door to this viewpoint is closed in the evening and at night. The view here is similar to that of the Cloack Bridge, but just a little bit better, as you can see part of the castle with the castle tower and the Cloak Bridge as well.
#5 The sunset viewpoint from the edge of the city
In a city with this many great viewpoints, there must be one specifically good to enjoy the sunset, we thought. We couldn’t find any information about such a view, so we headed out to find it ourselves. And we did!
This secret sunset spot is on the edge of the city, in the east and near the bus station. It offers a stunning view of Krumlov, especially during sunset. There are benches to sit down, so you can quietly soak in the view of the sun slowly setting behind the castle. You will probably have the place to yourself as we did, which will only add to the magic of fairytale-like Český Krumlov.
#6 The hill outside the city
Finally, active travelers can go for a climb to the Křížova hora, a chapel on a hill just outside Český Krumlov. The chapel at the top is a place of pilgrimage. The path up is designed as a station of the cross, leading you past several chapels on the way to pray. Finally, after about 40 minutes you will be rewarded with a beautiful view over Krumlov. As you are quite far from the old center and very high up, you won’t just get a glimpse of one part of the city, but you’ll have the entire city at your feet.
