Of hauntings.
Had a day trip to this beautiful town whose street layout hasn't altered since medieval times, coming from Australia, this is both mind boggling and strangely comforting.
Our guide is informative as we walk around the town. He tells us of the White Lady from the 15th century whose husband abused her and who haunts the halls of the castle. The priest who fell asleep in the confessional (I can imagine how boring that could be sometimes) only to awake and find the congregation had left and ghosts had moved in. His hair turned white overnight.
The worst story was the gruesome tale of Emperor Rudolf II"s illegitimate son, Don Julius, born around 1586. He was a dangerous schizophrenic who had to be sent away from the court (after a series of unfortunate events, you don't want to know), to Cesky Krumlov's castle where he met and fell in love with the bloodletter's daughter. Bloodletter's in those days were the medics of the time, believing that by taking the blood, you removed the ill humours of the person. Thus he was summoned to treat Don Julius's humours (which were decidedly ill) and he brought with him his daughter. Don Julius became obsessed with her. He convinced the family to let her live with him but eventually he brutally attacked her and threw her off the castle wall. Luckily, she landed on a pile of garbage and survived but when she healed, he demanded that she be brought back to the castle. Her mother eventually allowed her to return and then he brutally murdered her. His father imprisoned him in the castle for life where he went mad and died in the room where the murder was committed. Europe's aristocratic society was horrified. I decide not to go into the castle....
We lunch at the Two Marys, a restaurant in a 500 year old house overlooking the river that wraps around the town. The food is hearty and we need it, it's freezing here. Pork sausage, cabbage, potato and smoked paprika soup. Smoky chicken with weird vegetable patties that have the earthy taste of root vegetables and a hot spiced wine.
Fortified, I go to the castle tower, to climb the steep stairs to get a view which is spectacular, framed by the river and the wintry treescape.
Then there's a bit of time time to look around. There are beautiful Xmas markets and wonderful pottery and glass shops. I buy more presents here than anywhere else I've been.
The buildings here are beautifully maintained, the murals stunning, their colours lighting up the otherwise grey day. It must be magic here at night with all the Xmas lights strung throughout the town but I'm back to Prague and then moving on the next morning.
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