36th year – Program Highlights

This year in brief 

• Seven historical parades – day and night, on land and water 
• Historical craft markets 
• Solstice celebration 
• Knight’s riding school with horse exhibitions 
• Falconry court with an exhibition of birds of prey 
• Historical military camp – the medieval at your fingertips 
• Folk merrymaking in the Petr Vok Pub 
• Historical games and workshops 
• Concerts, fencing, dance, theater and juggling performances 
• Fire and flag show 
• Garden wine tasting  
• Historical cuisine 
• Festive fireworks on the castle terraces 

This year in detail 

From Friday, June 21 to Sunday, June 23, the town of Český Krumlov will once again become a great living historical scene that will transport us to the reign of the Last Rožmberks. This year we will commemorate two important anniversaries in the history of the town. The first event is the 750th anniversary of when in 1274 a part of the town (the Inner Town) was first mentioned as a trading settlement with its first mayor Sipota. The second event takes us back to 1584, when Lord Vilém of Rožmberk was awarded the highest imperial decoration, the Order of the Golden Fleece. And to top it all off, on Friday 21 June the whole town will come alive with the Solstice Festival.  

Friday’s program will begin at 4 p.m. and will take place at several venues throughout the city. In the early evening, a procession of magistrates will pass through the town, when the town’s magistrate and his entourage will check the readiness of the town for the great festival and the arrival of the rulers Vilém and Petr Vok of Rožmberk and their distinguished guests. 

On Friday evening, the historic center will be taken over by a solstice celebration which will begin with two parallel parades, a night fire parade through the town, and an allegorical parade on the Vltava River, which will bear the symbol of the sun. These parades will then be followed by the Solstice Festival in the brewery gardens and the historic center. In the night program, you can look forward to two great concerts, namely the band České srdce, which will celebrate its 35th anniversary in Krumlov, and the band Tomáš Kočko & Orchestr.  
Saturday’s festivities will begin with the morning Kirchparade of the Schwarzenberg Grenadier Guards, the hoisting of the Guards’ banners, and the sounding of the Krumlov fanfare from the castle tower, and then the program will begin throughout the town. 

In the first castle courtyard you can visit a historical market with demonstrations of traditional crafts and traditional goods. The main stage on the town’s Svornost Square offers concerts, swordplay, dance, and juggling performances. The brewery gardens will be home to the Knights’ Riding Hall with horse shows and a historical program, including historical cuisine. There will also be historical games for children and adults. The next annual Garden Wine Tasting will take place in the Monastery Garden. In the town park, you can visit the Living History Historical Encampment, which will offer you the opportunity to learn about life in a medieval camp, as well as to see the program of historical groups and take part in their workshops. You can also visit the Tramín Courtyard with a falconry exhibition of birds of prey and flight demonstrations. Hradební Street will be transformed into a theater stage, and during the festivities will hose the Víťa Marčík Theater and other theater artists. This year, for example, puppeteer Alex Barti will visit the festival for the first time with a unique 47-string marionette. 

In the afternoon, a festive historical costumed procession with almost six hundred costumed participants will pass through the town, in which the Last Rožmberks will ride with their colorful entourage. Enjoy the spectacle of representatives of the nobility on horseback and in carriages as well as also townspeople, military units with drummers and flag bearers, ladies’ entourages, dance and music groups, jugglers and jokers, and common and servant people. 

Saturday evening will be in the spirit of folk and courtly entertainment in all corners of the town, with folk festivities in the brewery gardens at the Petr Vok Pub.  

Also on Saturday, a night fire parade will pass through the darkened town by torchlight, drums, dancing, and singing, and will kick off the night program in the brewery gardens, which will include fire and flag shows and other programs, ending with a festive fireworks display over the town. 

The festive fireworks show, as per tradition, will be set off on the southern terraces of the castle and will consist of two parts, a more intimate one on the castle terraces and a final high-rise part above the castle. The musical accompaniment this year will be a compilation of famous works by composer Ennio Morricone. 
The festivities will end on Sunday 23 June with a historical parade from the castle and a festive closing ceremony on the Svornost Square. 

Basic Program

Friday 21 June

Parades

Svornost Square

Brewery

Town Park

Monasteries

Hradební Street

Hotel Růže

Saturday 22 June

Parades

Svornost Square

Brewery Garden

Monasteries

Hradební Street

Town Park

Hotel Růže

Široká Street

Fireworks over the Český Krumlov castle and town

Sunday 23 June

Parades

Town Park

Hotel Růže

Svornost Square

Change of program reserved!