Danube River Cruise #41: Cesky Krumlov's Castle, Dracula Inspiration and Outdoor Theatre

Cesky Krumlov Castle

In today's blog about our May 2019 Danube River Cruise we'll focus on three aspects of the beautiful city of Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic. One is the a famous castle, two is the inspiration for Dracula and the other is a cool, historic theatre. 

Castle courtyard

SCHWARZBERG FAMILY CASTLE - Schwarzenberg is a Czech and German aristocratic family, and it was one of the most prominent European noble houses. The Schwarzenbergs are members of the Czech nobility and German nobility and achieved the rank of Princes of the Holy Roman Empire.

INSPIRATION FOR DRACULA - Princess Eleonore von Schwarzenberg was a family member who some believe inspired Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. The vampire story as we know it is not modeled on a medieval count from Transylvania but rather on the fate of a Bohemian princess from the early 18th century, according to the website: http://patricias-vampire-notes.blogspot.com/. 

Old door to an indoor theatre

ELEANOR'S VAMPIRISM - The 2007 Austrian documentary The Vampire Princess (author and director: Klaus T. Steindl) found evidence suggesting that Eleonore was suspected of being a vampire after her death. Her apparent reburial conforms to vampire burial rites of the time, and a stone slab was placed over her coffin as if to prevent her from rising. Trak.TV reported "Many experts believe, the deleted opening was actually based on a woman. Archaeologists, historians, and forensic scientists revisit the days of vampire hysteria in the eighteenth-century Czech Republic and re-open the unholy grave of dark princess Eleonore von Schwarzenberg. They uncover her story, once buried and long forgotten, now raised from the dead.

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THE OUTDOOR THEATRE -Although we didn't get to see the outdoor theatre, we heard about it.
For more than a half of century, the revolving theatre in Český Krumlov has been a significant and world’s unique representative of a natural outdoor theatre with an original design and utilisation of the scenic space.
Bellaria summer palace is part of an open-air amphitheatre with a revolving auditorium, the construction of which was based on the design by Joan Brehms and gradually remodelled to its present appearance.

Outdoor theatre

Eighty plays as an average are performed here each year from June to September, attended by about 55,000 domestic and foreign spectators. For more information about revolving theater visit http://www.otacivehlediste.cz/?lang=en.


NEXT: THE CITY'S BEAR MASCOT IN THE MOAT, ON SHUTTERS