The long awaited International airport at Ceske Budejovice is now officially going ahead with its proposed widening of services, starting in the year 2012. Although not good news regarding green issues, it's perceived as a godsend to the businesses and international travellers from (and to) this region. Ceske Budejovice is not well connected to Prague (although the distance is only around 150 km, it takes 2 and half hours by mostly non-motorway road, and 2 and half by train) and so air-tourists to the region usually come via Linz airport which is nearer - this is especially true for the Brits and the Spanish, who all use the Ryanair services.
And so our own town, Cesky Krumlov, is full of the topic today: the new airport is 15-20 minutes from here. Up till now it only accommodated small planes, but now it will be able to serve planes such as Boeing 737 or Airbus A320. The airport will serve 300,000 passengers a year to start with, and half the money for the essential new terminal and all the other associated buildings and equipment is coming from the EU.
What will this mean for our small, cosy British 'colony' here? Will Ryanair or their like be jumping in to bring a similar wave of British second-home seekers that seems to have sprung up around practically all the cheap European destinations? Might the Brits go for the pretty farmhouses before the prices rocket, might they want a piece of Cesky Krumlov, or seek out the romantic huts in the woods? Well, perhaps not: with the current crisis it could just mean a huge influx of beer-lovers going for boozy stag-nights at Ceske Budejovice's huge Budvar brewery :-)
We'll have to see: whatever happens, the airport is here to come - and stay.
Showing posts with label travel hints. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel hints. Show all posts
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Sunday, 20 April 2008
How to get here
After the poetry of the last post, I thought I might add some pragmatic advice on how to get to Cesky Krumlov. Well let's start by how not to get here - don't come on a day-trip from Prague, you will only have time to realise that you should stay for longer! This is a beautiful time with so much to see and do, including gently sitting by the river drinking a beer and watching the world go by.
If you are coming from the UK you can fly to Prague with a low-cost airline from most British airports or you fly with Ryanair from Stansted to Linz just over the border in Austria. Then you can either rent a car and drive here. Alternatively you can catch a train from Prague changing at Ceske Budejovice train station on to the little train shown above. This little train winds its way through the Blansky Les area of outstanding beauty and around the foot of the Klet mountain. It is slow but a wonderful introduction to Cesky Krumlov. The train also makes a great way to explore the surrounding countryside as after Krumlov it proceeds to Lake Lipno and the Sumava National Park. Cesky Krumlov's station is on a hill above Krumlov and the walk down into the old town takes about 20 minutes, alternatively there are usually taxis waiting at the station. There are also buses to Cesky Krumlov from Prague.
For a website giving details of public transport tables for the Czech Republic, check out the idos website
Thursday, 31 January 2008
Most romantic city - it's official!
The front cover of the travel supplement in last Sunday's Observer was dedicated to Cesky Krumlov. Inside the magazine was a section called "Cities for Seduction" and yes top of the list was Cesky Krumlov.
The article begins:
"One of the most romantic things in the world is feeling that you are discovering somewhere - that together you've stumbled on a secret. Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic felt like that to us: it's a picture-book place, with colour-washed houses and detailed architecture dating back to the 14th century. The town is dominated by a walled castle so large it's like a town in its own right. There are beautiful gardens to walk in and a cafe at the entrance which serves fantastic coffee; you could sit there all day and watch the comings and goings from the castle. The town itself is quite chic - lots of cosy bars and coffee houses - but it maintains a historical feel, thanks to all the cobbled alleyways and courtyards. You need time to wander and allow yourself to get lost. The best way to discover Cesky is to set off without a map and simply keep walking."
For more check: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/jan/27/romantictrips.shortbreaks
The author of the piece was Sarah Beeny - the presenter of the Channel 4's Property Ladder and mysinglefriend.com.
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