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town center. Its glass museum is open Monday to Friday 8am to 5:30pm and Satur-
day 9am to 3pm. There's also a Moser Store, on Tr z i s t ê 7 ( & 353-235-303 ), right in
the heart of new town; it's open daily from 10am to 7pm (Sat-Sun until 6pm).
Dozens of other smaller shops also sell the famed glass and are as easy to find in the
Old Town as spring water.
CESK: KRUMLOV
167km (104 miles) S of Prague
If you have time on your visit to the Czech Republic for only one excursion, seriously
consider making it C esk ; Krumlov. One of Bohemia's prettiest towns, Krumlov is a
living gallery of elegant Renaissance-era buildings housing charming cafes, pubs,
restaurants, shops, and galleries. In 1992, UNESCO named C esk ; Krumlov a World
Heritage Site for its historical importance and physical beauty.
GETTING THERE
From Prague, it's a 2-hour drive down Highway 3 through Tábor.
The only way to reach C esk ; Krumlov by train from Prague is via C eské
Bud ê jovice, a slow ride that deposits you at a station relatively far from the town cen-
ter (trip time: 3 hr. 50 min.). Six trains leave daily from Prague's Hlavní nádra z í; the
fare is 336K c ($14/£7) first class, 224K c ($9.35/£4) second class. If you are already in
C eské Bud ê jovice and you want to make a trip to Krumlov, several trains connect
these two cities throughout the day. The trip takes about 57 minutes and costs 46K c
($1.90/£1). For timetables, go to www.jizdnirady.cz .
The nearly 3-hour bus ride from Prague usually involves a transfer in C eské
Bud ê jovice. The fare is 136K c ($5.65/£3), and the bus station in C esk ; Krumlov is a
15-minute walk from the town's main square.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Right on the main square, the Information Centrum, nám ê stí Svornosti 2, 381 01
C esk ; Krumlov ( & 380-704-622; fax 380-704-619; www.ckrumlov.cz), provides a
complete array of services, from booking accommodations to reserving tickets for
events, as well as a phone and Internet service. It's open daily in July and August from
9am to 8pm; in June and September from 9am to 7pm; in April, May, and October
from 9am to 6pm; and from November to March from 9am to 5pm.
EXPLORING THE CHATEAU
Reputedly the second-largest castle in Bohemia (after Prague Castle), C esk ; Krumlov
Château was constructed in the 13th century as part of a private estate. Throughout
the ages, it has been passed on to a variety of private owners, including the Ro z mberk
family, Bohemia's largest landholders, and the Schwarzenbergs, the Bohemian equiv-
alent of the TV show Dynasty 's Carrington family.
There are two guided tours. Tour I begins in the rococo Chapel of St. George, and
continues through the portrait-packed Renaissance Rooms, and the Schwarzenberg
Barogue Suite, outfitted with ornate furnishings that include Flemish wall tapestries,
European paintings, and also the extravagant 17th-century Golden Carriage. Tour II
includes the Schwarzenberg portrait gallery as well as their 19th-century suite. Tours
last 1 hour and depart frequently. Most are in Czech or German, however. If you want
an English-language tour, arrange it ahead of time ( & 380-704-721; www.ckrumlov.
cz). The guided tours cost 160K c ($6.65/£3) adults, 80K c ($3.35/£2) students (Tour I);
140K c ($5.85/£3) adults and 70K c ($2.90/£1) students (Tour II). The tickets are sold
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