10 Reasons to Revisit Český Krumlov

Český Krumlov has its obvious pleasures. Riverside dining, a movie-set-worthy Old Town, and a sprawling castle with an ornate tower once referred to by Czech author Karel Čapek as the “towerest of towers.” But a new infusion of modern dining options and cultural offerings are making this enchanted South Bohemian hamlet worth a second look for anyone with a been-there-done-that mindset:

This 14th-century Franciscan monastery complex recently underwent an extensive revitalization, reopening in 2015 as a cultural center with a rich year-round program of exhibits and performances taking place beneath its Gothic rafters.

If you’re looking for a May Day celebration that’s high on Old World charm, look no further than this gala weekend of maypoles, lantern processions, and live music. On from April 29-May 1, 2016.

The summer terrace of this recently opened brewery is the place to be during the warmer months. Go for the outdoor barbecues and fine roasted local trout, linger over the castle garden views.

Despite the kitsch factor of this moving amphitheater, its setting in the lush castle gardens, near the Bellarie summer manor, makes it an enchanting nighttime venue for opera, ballet, and Shakespeare.

Could there possibly be anything more enticing than tea at a “homemade strudel house”? The first café in southern Bohemia dedicated exclusively to sweet and savory strudel is located in the 15th-century former burgher’s houses of the Hotel Latrán.

This small but vital museum recently ended a successful crowdfunding campaign to bring the works of Czech painter Otto Placht, who lived and worked in the Peruvian jungle in the 1990s, and numerous other South American artists to the Czech Republic. Open from April 21.

Open since 2015 in the restored Svachův dvůr farm just five kilometers from Český Krumlov, this spa-and-golf hotel resort will serve authentic beer brandy until its first whisky tasting in 2018.

Late last summer the fifth courtyard of the castle opened to the public for the first time ever. The Princely Stables exhibit continues this year; see the fully harnessed Schwarzenberg coach that was used for the coronation of Empress Maria Theresa in Prague.