We unpacked and headed out to do some exploring before walking up to the Castle to meet the group for a tour of the castle museum. The museum had some interesting artifacts, but unfortunately the castle was closed for the winter so we couldn't see the main attraction. We settled down with some coffee to hear a lecture on the history of the town which was really fascinating. Just before WWII Český Krumlov, along with the other Czech towns close to the border, was given to Germany as a part of the allied appeasement policy. Much like Prague, Český Krumlov was left undamaged during the war. Later on during communism, the town and castle were protected and declared historical sites. Unfortunately, during communism protection meant that the town was only left alone, and the entire town broke down and became overgrown. Eventually, people began moving back into the houses. The center became home to three Roma families, who were not used to living in and taking care of houses. Many of the Roma stayed in one house until it was completely run down before moving on to a different house. Needless to say, the entire town was in complete disrepair soon enough. After communism, Český Krumlov gained a mayor who realized the potential the little town had. Despite the poor state of almost everything, the buildings were still original and one of the best representations of Medieval architecture in the world. The mayor gave some of the larger buildings away to bigger buyers but only with rules set in place about what the buildings would become. With the money brought in by these buildings, the other buildings were given to the Roma population to start businesses and tourist attractions. Today the town is a beautiful spot right out of a fairy tale.
After the lecture, I stopped in at a toyshop next to our hotel. I ended up buying my first souvenir: a hand made set of wooden blocks that make a castle. I'm excited to set it up on my desk back in Grinnell.
The whole group went to a brewery for dinner and some beer. A Roma band played great music, and as soon as I finished my delicious meal I rallied a group of friends to start dancing. We all had a blast dancing and singing along with words we didn't understand. our programs directors even joined in on the dancing! We moved to a little bar called the Van Gogh Bar. The bartender was Brazilian and chatted with the four of us until the rest of our huge group showed up. The whole night was full of fun and I made a few new friends. Here's a picture of Marketa (my Czech Buddy), Nate (an American buddy heh), and me at the bar.
The next day we saw the old Castle Theater which is the oldest theater in all of Europe. We explored the city for a while longer before heading back to Prague. The trip was absolutely amazing. The town has a fascinating history and is so picturesque. I hope I can return sometime to see the interior of the castle.
This week will be filled with classes, but this weekend I plan to finally explore Prague to the fullest extent (with the help of Rick Steves of course). Tomorrow I'm going back to the Globe for an anti-valentines day party which should be a blast. I'm also going to a comic opera on Saturday (Kathy, I know you'll want to hear all about that one).
Oh and Český Krumlov had no shortage of beautiful doors!
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