South Bohemia, more than any other region, conforms to the popular myth of Bohemia as a bucolic backwater of rolling hills and endless forests. A century of conspicuous industrialization and destruction from two world wars have pretty much passed it by. The only city to speak of is the regional capital, Ceske Budejovice, which makes up for its urban sprawl with a good-looking old town (and beer of no less standing). The rest of the countryside is dotted with a series of exceptionally beautifully medieval walled towns, known collectively as the "Rose Towns" after the emblems of the two most powerful families: the red rose of the Rozmberks and the black rose of the lords of Hradec. Both dynasties died out at the beginning of the seventeenth century, and their prize possessions have been in almost terminal decline ever since, despite the subsequent rise of the Bavarian-based Schwarzenbergs.
Ceskey Krumlov is by far the most popular of the Rose Towns; others, like Pelhrimov and Trebon are equally well preserved, if not as picturesquely located. The latter lies in an uncharacteristically flat part of the country, known as Trebonsko, a unique ecosystem of medieval fishponds that still supply much of the countrie's Christmas carp. Bohemia's cheif river, the Vltava, spends much of its life in South Bohemia and provides the setting for the region's most popular castles, some, like Zvikov, almost monastic in their simplicity, and others, such as Orlik, Hluboka and Rozmberk, choking on aristocratic decadence.
To the south, the Sumava, which forms the natural border with Austria and Germany, is one of the most unspoiled mountain ranges in the country. The German-speaking foresters and traders who settled on the northern slopes have left their mark on the architecture of the Bohemian towns and villages in that area. Following the postwar expulsions, however, the local population is now greatly reduced, their number augmented only by a seasonal influx of walkers, fishermen, canoeists and inland beachniks, drawn by the region's natural beauty - probably the least affected by acid rain in the Czech Republic.
Regional transport in South Bohemia ins't as bad as might be expected, given the overwhelming hilly, rural nature of the terrain. Travelling by train allows you to experience more of the countryside, and even parts of the Sumava are served by a scenic single-track railway that winds its way from Cesky Krumlov, along the shores of Lake Lipno and then north to Prachatice. Though sometimes less frequent than trains, buses go virtually everywhere and are almost invariably faster. There are also limited opportunities for travelling by boat on the Vltava and Lake Lipno.
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