Český (Chess-key) Krumlov is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Czech Republic. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that the UN decides has cultural or historical significance. Český Krumlov is a World Heritage Site because of its gorgeous architecture and its huge castle.
Český Krumlov sits on a bend on the Vltava river, the longest river in the Czech Republic and one of the most important rivers to Czech culture. Because the river is so important and connects so much of the Czech Republic, having a town on the river really helped with trading. The first people to live in Český Krumlov settled there sometime between 70,000 BCE and 50,000 BCE, but the first time a lot of people lived there was 1,500 BCE. By the 6th century CE, Český Krumlov was an important stop on trade routes.
Český Krumlov is also really hilly! Hills are critical for building fortresses and castles because they make it harder to invade. The Český Krumlov was first built around 1250 by a local family, who gave it to King Wenceslas II in 1302. King Wenceslas II was the King of Bohemia, or the lands that are now most of the Czech Republic. King Wenceslas gave it to the Rosenburg family, who kept it for 300 years and made the castle as huge and beautiful as it is today.
