The Town Time Forgot Status As Major Security Risk Saved Cesky Krumlov…New Popularity Could Threaten It

As the cities of the world become homogenized and blend into cookie-cutter copies of each other, little European towns that look as if they spilled directly from a book of fairy tales disappear one by one.

When I first stumbled into Cesky Krumlov five summers ago, it was exactly that. It looked as if it had fallen asleep somewhere around the Renaissance and then simply forgot to wake up. No modern buildings, no Golden Arches, no traffic lights, not even a Coke machine.

From the cobblestone streets, five centuries of faded ocher and pastel houses rose in a kind of shabby gentility, wearing their patched plaster as proudly as Scarlet O’Hara wore a dress made of drapes.

The Vltava River wrapped itself around the Old Town in a complete hairpin bend, creating the kind of easily defended peninsula that would have brought joy to the heart of a medieval knight. Houses with medieval porches lined the cobblestone streets, and in the main square a huge fountain decorated with figures proclaimed victory over the Black Death. On the north bank, a steep wall of rock rose vertically from the river. Crouched on the top, like a cat having a good morning stretch, was the zamek (castle) of the ancient Rozmberk family. This was home to three family dynasties who held Southern Bohemia in thrall for centuries.

If Cesky Krumlov were just a small village, its remarkable state of preservation might seem less surprising. (UNESCO has called its state of medieval preservation second only to Venice.) How was the town lucky enough to escape 45 years of the systematic architectural devastation the Soviets wreaked on cities such as Warsaw?

As real-estate agents say, “location, location, location.” The town sits 20 minutes north of the Austrian border, so the Soviets classified it a major security risk.

When the Sudetan Germans were moved out of Czechoslovakia at the end of World War II, no one was permitted to move in. The only settlers were gypsies, who kept a low profile. Over the years, the town council didn’t have a koruna to its name with which to rip down old buildings, and, because it was a security risk, no Soviet funds were available for reconstruction.

Cesky Krumlov slumbered, its old houses growing more shabby and worn - a little like Miss Havisham’s wedding dinner in Great Expectations.

Since l990, the cobwebs have been blown away and paint brushes dipped in pastel colors. The flaking plaster on old gray buildings has been smoothed over and faded murals touched up. In the summer, once deserted streets are now filled with tourists in their Birkenstocks shopping for Czech puppets, Bohemian glass and wooden toys.

So far, most changes made in the town have been tasteful, thanks to a strong town council that monitors all restoration. This year, however, the wooden toys on display may be joined by a well-known wooden puppet with a long nose - a spin-off from an inadvertent public-relations explosion that may change Cesky Krumlov forever.

Last summer, Hollywood released its multi-million live-action version of “Pinocchio,” starring Martin Landau and Jonathan Taylor Thomas, which was shot in Cesky Krumlov. Film-goers all over the world saw an American-Italian Gepetto hobbling down Czech cobblestone streets, peering into medieval houses searching for his wooden-headed son.

Mozart enthusiasts came in droves to see Prague when Amadeus was filmed there, and Cesky Krumlov may find its streets filled with Pinocchio fans. It will take the wisdom of Solomon and a town council with the tenacity of Saladin to keep the 20th century from altering this medieval gem forever. So see it soon.

Every street you walk along, there are surprises. On Ulitca Siroka, a doorway with a Romanesque lintel, a facade with Renaissance friezes under the eaves. On Soukenicka Street, all the houses once belonged to craftsmen and date back to the Middle Ages.

For the time being, there’s still a warm, clubby atmosphere about life in Cesky Krumlov. On velvet summer evenings, we walk down the narrow, uneven cobblestone streets illuminated by 19th-century lamps to the central square to see what’s happening.

The square is dominated by a dark baroque pillar and fountain adorned by statues of St. Wenceslas, St. Vitus, John the Evangelist and others. The pillar was erected in 1715 by a sculptor named Matous Jackel to give thanks for being spared from one of the many plagues sweeping Europe. Sometimes we grab some Czech “fast food” before checking out the nightly gathering places - maybe a langose, a cross between a doughnut and a pizza covered in garlic and tomato sauce. Or perhaps some topinky, usually served with garlic. These dishes wouldn’t make the American Heart Association’s diet, but they do keep vampires away.

Usually, we eat out at Na louzi, where you can have a good meal of fried cheese or pork with lots of potatoes and cabbage for $3 or less. (Vegetables and salads are slowly making their way onto Czech menus.) After dinner, we wander over to Satlavy, a favorite nightly gathering spot that was once the town prison. Inside the low, vaulted and white-washed room you can sit at long, wooden tables and buy sausages grilled over the open fire to munch along with huge, 40-cent tankards of beer.

Cesky Krumlov sits some 100 miles south of Prague in a thickly forested area near the Sumava Mountains. The lack of industrialization here in the south has saved the forests and rivers from some of the extraordinary environmental devastation around in the “Black Triangle,” an area near the junction of the German-Polish-Czech borders.

On that first visit to Krumlov in 1990, we stood on the Lazebnicky Bridge watching the kayakers and canoers and hoping they were experienced enough not to spill in the murky Vltava. Local authorities were just beginning a massive cleanup of the river, which had been contaminated by a pulp mill upstream. Now, people are once again swimming in the river and the fish have returned in great numbers.

Twice now, I’ve timed my summer visit to coincide with the annual Ruze (Five-Petal Rose) Festival, a four-day celebration during which the entire town plunges itself back into the Middle Ages. Much of the color and festivity that fills Cesky Krumlov with romance harkens back to the Rozmberks - the family that ruled most of Southern Bohemia for more than 300 years.

For weeks before the festival, locals scurry around trying on elaborate costumes from the town’s collection, hammering swords, practicing lines for the grand pageant, rehearsing for musical performances or building elaborate medieval wooden games of skill.

The festival is officially launched by an elaborate parade that begins at the Budejovice Gate, the only remaining gate from the medieval fortifications.

“Rozmberk” lords and ladies in elaborate velvet, brocade and pearlen-crusted garments walk sedately, followed by courtiers, soldiers on horseback, maidens, slaves, beggars and fighters.

After this, the fun and games begin. Musicians play their medieval ditties; swordsmen slash away at one another; the Fool makes a fool of himself. On a wooden jousting machine, competitors earn a bag of water dropped on their heads if they miss the target with their lances. Nimble-footed youngsters try to walk along a rope strung across the Vltava. All the while, music plays and the beer flows. It is a perfectly splendid medieval day.

Each time I return to Cesky Krumlov, I come with apprehension because, while some changes are welcome (such as being able to buy good toothpaste), others are not. I rather liked the town when it still had its romantic l9th-century shabbiness.

The Czechs, however, see the changes in a different light. On one of our strolls, one Czech said: “Look at my town - it is all clean and it is alive again. Before, the houses were all gray. Everything was gray - buildings, people.”

The citizens of Cesky Krumlov never intend to be gray again.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: If you go Getting there: From Prague, there are eight daily train departures to Cesky Krumlov from the Central Train Station. Local and express buses also have regular daily departures for CK, with changes in Ceske Budejovice. Trains tend to be slower than the bus, with longer stops and frequent detours due to repair projects that often take months to complete. The CK bus station is a five-minute walk from the town center, the train station about 10 minutes away. Both bus and train prices are cheap - under $2 for the 3-4 hour trip. Although much more convenient, car rental is expensive in the Czech Republic, one of the reasons being high insurance costs because of rising incidences of car theft. Avis, Hertz and Budget all have rental agencies in Prague. The price structure is complex, but weekly packages which include the 23 percent tax, unlimited mileage, collision and theft insurance are approximately $650 per week for a compact car. Although rates are much lower in Germany and Austria, the major car rental firms do not allow vehicles into most of the former Soviet bloc countries because of theft problems. Getting around: Cesky Krumlov is small enough to walk wherever you want to go, and is completely safe day and night. From the train and bus station, taxis can be called and rates are still low (under $2 to town). For most side trips to places such as Vyssi Brod and Zalata Koruna, buses are not luxurious, but they are frequent and cheap (about $1 for a one-hour trip.) Where to stay: For hotels, it’s important to book in advance as they fill up quickly in the summer. The Hotel Ruze (ulitca Horni 154, Cesky Krumlov 38101, phone 011-42-337-2245; fax 011-42-337-3881) was once a Jesuit seminary and guest house for visitors to the castle. The most expensive hotel in town (rooms begin around $40 US for a double with breakfast), it’s comparable to other European hotels, with modern bathrooms and 110 rooms available. The hotel has a good dining room, cafe and snack bar plus a night club. Hotel Krumlov (Nam. Svornosti 14, Cesky Krumlov 38101, phone 011-42-337-2255; fax 011-42-337-3498), in a gothic house right on the main square, is an older hotel with a rambling, homey ambiance and Czech antiques in the rooms. Rates start at around $30 per night per room with bathroom. INFOCENTRUM on the main square can find you a pension or private room from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday. Also available is an interactive computer “room searcher” located on the front of the building, if you arrive after hours. Try any of the pensions located on Rooseweltova ulice, off Horni ulice. U Vodnika Hostel, right on the Vltava River, has bright, clean airy rooms in a house that dates back to the 16th century, and more rooms in Krumlov House just up the hill. All rooms are $7 US per night. Phone: (42) 337-5675 or e-mail: vodnik@c.k.bohem-net.cz. Where to eat: Rybarska, just off the main square, has good fish dishes. The Cikanska Jizba (Gypsy Bar) on Dlouha 31 has the best beer in town, and offers a gypsy specialty, “halusky,” a spicy gypsy pasta. The Hotel Ruze has the fanciest food in town, with the trout and duck highly recommended. For bars, Na Louzi, a block off the main square and U Matesa, a pub/wine bar on Rybarska ulice has country bands on the weekends. The towering Moravian owner will make you sample his vintages. One of the most atmospheric places is U Satlavy, a cavernous medieval wine bar complete with heavy wooden tables, candle light and fire spit. Wine is served in big ceramic mugs for about 40 cents (on Satlavska ulice near the Main Square.) Money: The currency unit is the crown or koruna, which currently stands at $1US=25Kcs. Even with inflation, you can manage in Cesky Krumlov for $20 to $30 a day easily. Major credit cards are valid in many shops. For more information contact The Czech Republic Tourist Information Office, Czech Center, 1109-1111 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10028 Attention: Zdena Ehlova, Phone: (212) 288-0830; fax (212) 288-0971.