Thanks for having put up with my lame picture-taking. I wish there was a professional to do it, but posting my own photos at least beats dragging something off Google image search. I hope.
Thankfully, I’ve found the solution to my problem. It’s called Český Krumlov. This Czech village is so photogenic, taking a bad picture is impossible. I would get a good shot even if I held the camera with my feet while doing a handstand. It’s places like this that give birth to successful photography careers and postcard businesses.
Why does this place look so good? A great river and favorable topography, for starters. Český Krumlov’s river winds back and forth through the town like a snake, so wooden bridges and waterfront property are aplenty. Krumlov also benefits from high terrain directly by the water, making for tons of great vantage points. It’s as if a tiny glacier carved through here some eons ago, creating a miniature canyon.
Of course, I can’t give all the credit to mother nature. Czech people have done wonders for the place’s appearance. Their adorable townhouses are painted an assortment of pretty colors, often with bright red roofs and lovely flower boxes dressing the windowsills. The place is tidily manicured, as if striving towards some imagined, idealized appearance.
Then again, all this effort seems to have been done in the name of tourism. Strolling through town, you’ll find that buildings that aren’t converted into small hotels are surprisingly few. It’ll make you wonder where the locals live, until you look out from a hilltop and see massive apartment blocks just outside of town. That’s where the Czechs live, while the actual village is used for guest accommodation. Makes sense for the local economy, but the feeling of authenticity is diminished when you realize the village is like an amusement park.
Normally this would bother me, but Krumlov seriously redeems itself with one thing: river rafting! Oh yes, nothing like paddling through the wilderness with a beer in one hand and oar in the other. The river isn’t very fast, so you need not exert yourself, and floating cocktail bars along the river are not uncommon. Last I checked, drinking and paddling is not a crime.
The only thing better than rafting down the river was returning to town for a delicious, reasonably-priced Czech meal. Czech cuisine seems less known, but I appreciate any country that takes enough pride in its food to serve it in restaurants. I’ve found that’s not always the case (*cough* Sweden).
If I were to give Český Krumlov an award, it would be for ”greatest village you’ve probably never heard of”. A rare honor, given how fast Europe’s list of well-kept secrets is shrinking. If you know of such places, do tell. But only to me and in a secluded, predetermined location.
Cultural epiphany: ”Ahoj” is hello in Czech, meaning that Czech people were all pirates at one point.
Soon: Plzeň, the birthplace of pilsner beer!
