Photo Gallery

CZECH WEATHER AND WHEN TO VISIT CESKY KRUMLOV

winter snow in Krumlov   summer in krumlov

Okay, let's get one thing straight - some Britons think that the Czech Republic is cold, snow covered and somewhere near Siberia. This is one of those illusions which seems to come from reading too many cold war novels. Don't worry. The Czechs have read Dickens and so many of them think that Britain is covered with fog! In fact Cesky Krumlov is further south than the Channel Islands.  Nor for that matter is the Czech Republic in Eastern Europe - as the Czechs are eager to point out, Prague is further west than Vienna. 

Being continental, Czech weather and seasons are rather more defined that the British. Spring usually starts in late March, the change can be quite dramatic with snow on the ground one minute and then melting the next. Easter is an important celebration in the Czech calendar with hand-painted Easter Eggs. We spent a wonderful late Easter in Cesky Krumlov and remember lying on the grass in the Castle park among a selection of Czech spring flowers, similar to ours but slightly different.  May is often lovely and warm. 

Summer generally runs to mid-September. The summers are a few degrees hotter and drier than in the UK, with occasional thunderstorms (often at night), however the summer heat is not unbearable for cold-blooded Brits like ourselves. 

Autumn is a favourite season of ours - the leaves in the Czech woods around Cesky Krumlov and on the mountains of the Sumava National Park turn wonderful colours and there are mists in the hills. The Czechs head for the woods with wicker baskets to hunt for mushrooms. October can be lovely and warm but not too hot. By mid to late November the temperature really begins to drop.

Although the winters are colder than in Britain with snow from December to the end of February and into March, the skies are often blue with bright winter sunshine reflected off the snow. In winter the crowds of tourists disappear from Cesky Krumlov and as the smell of wood smoke drifts down the narrow streets and snow blankets the old buildings you can really feel the age and mystery of the town. Cesky Krumlov makes a perfect winter break - this is the country of good King Wenceslas after all.  A white Christmas is almost guaranteed. The other reason for coming in the winter is of course the skiing - so much cheaper than in nearby Austria. 

Other Pages in the Site

  Useful Information