One-day trip to Hluboká nad Vltavou

This weekend I finally visited the town of Hluboká nad Vltavou. According to the schedule, the train from Prague was supposed to reach České Budějovice in 2 hours. Yet, on that day the railway line was undergoing repair, and once in Tabor we were made to board a replacement bus. It was the first time in 13 years of living in the Czech Republic that I had encountered such disorganisation. All the passengers of the train, which was bound for Austria, were squashed into five buses, not long-distance ones, but urban. Not everyone could take a seat; many of them had to remain standing during the whole 70 km trip. (luckily not me).

However, that is not the main thing. When we got to České Budějovice, we were being waited for by a nice young woman working at the tourist centre, which is located right in the station shopping centre. She told us the number of the platform the bus to Hluboká nad Vltavou left from (which is different during the day) and gave us a map where she marked the pier from where we could return by boat.

We reached Hluboká nad Vltavou in 22 minutes. The bus stop is a 5-minute walk from the very centre of this small town. Right at the bus stop we saw a huge stork nest where mama stork was feeding its chicks on worms. 

The condition of the city is one of the best I have ever seen among the smaller cities in Europe. Every street, every building had been restored. Incredible petite town! Right behind the church there is a china shop run by the social fund “Nazaret”, whose articles are made by blind people or people with other physical disabilities. These products are just a lovely sight. We bought 4 plates, a large fruit bowl and a ceramic house. Prices are 65% lower than similar products in Prague. However, I’ll say right away that you can buy them in Prague, and it’s from the same fund.

The locals are all very kind and friendly. They are always happy to communicate, gladly let you taste their ice cream and tell you about all the products they sell.

The famous castle is only 10-minute’s walk from the main square. In general, the town is very compact; everything is close to everything else. The castle is amazing. It’s one of the most beautiful castles I’ve ever seen in my life. In front of the castle is a very well-kept garden. The tower boasts an incredibly amazing view of the countryside, the Vltava River, the city and two lakes.

The pier the boat sails from 3 times a day is called Hamry. You can get boat schedules at the tourist office right in Hluboká or in České Budějovice. We sailed off at 4 p.m. 

The trip takes 1 hour and 40 minutes. The road along the river is very beautiful and will give you a lot of joy. The boat moves so slowly that you will be overtaken by bicycles. 

You will also go through a lock during this journey. I’d never done it before and I can say that it was very interesting.

Despite the fact that the city is very small and we expected to spend only a couple of hours there, we spent the whole day there, and we didn’t regret it at all.

Prices:

Train ticket from Prague to České Budějovice: 159 krones one way

Bus ticket from České Budějovice to Hluboká nad Vltavou: 30 krones

Boat ticket :140 krones

The tower: 100 krones

The castle: 180 each part. The whole castle: near 1000 krones