Český Krumlov is landlocked in the Bohemian Forest foothills, but the cold Vltava river runs through it and Lake Lipno — the largest reservoir in the Czech Republic and the country's de-facto inland Riviera — is only 45 minutes south by car. From May to September both offer genuine off-leash swimming for dogs outside marked tourist beaches.
💡 Avoid the central bend through the old town (high rafting traffic and cobble banks). Walk 10 minutes south along the riverside path to find calmer pools clear of the rafts.
💡 Best from mid-June to early September when the lake reaches 22 °C. Combine with the leashed dog-friendly Lipno Treetop Walk (Stezka korunami stromů Lipno) 5 km north, which explicitly admits dogs on its 675 m wooden walkway.
💡 Sailboat traffic is heavy on summer weekends — stick to the marked dog-bathing strip and avoid the main fairway. Cyanobacteria (sinice) blooms can occur in late August; the regional public-health website (KHS Jihočeského kraje) updates water quality weekly.
Our top-rated pet-friendly hotels, handpicked and verified.
Penzion Pod Hrází
★★★ · 9.3/10
€60/night
Hotel Garni Myší Díra
★★★ · 9.1/10
€95/night
Hotel Růže
★★★★★ · 9/10
€175/night