Bamberg or Cesky Krumlov?

Neither town is a beach destination, but Cesky Krumlov has the better summer swim. Lipno reservoir, about half an hour's drive south, has grassy and sandy shores and water warm enough for a proper swim in July and August.

Bamberg's options are closer but more modest. There is the river bathing spot in the Hain park, gravel-pit lakes on the edge of town and public pools. That is enough to cool off on a hot afternoon, not enough for a day by the water.

Food and drink are among the clearest reasons to pick Bamberg. Its many small breweries, the smoky Rauchbier and the summer Bierkeller on the hillsides make drinking a central part of the trip. The food to go with it is Franconian Schäufele, Bratwurst and produce from the market gardeners on Grüner Markt.

Cesky Krumlov serves similarly hearty food, such as roast duck, svíčková and river trout, in vaulted cellars and on riverside terraces, and its town beer is good. Many menus are written for day-trippers, though, and there is no brewery culture on Bamberg's scale to explore. Meals are pleasant but not a reason to come.

Both are UNESCO-listed old towns where the streets and buildings matter more than the museums, but they differ in scale. Bamberg spreads across seven hills and both banks of the Regnitz. It runs from the four-towered cathedral and the Neue Residenz to the Old Town Hall on its island and the fishermen's houses of Little Venice, so it rewards several days of unhurried walking.

Cesky Krumlov packs its painted Renaissance houses into a single bend of the Vltava below one of the country's largest castles. The Cloak Bridge and the Baroque theatre with its original stage machinery are the highlights. It is the more concentrated sight, seen in a day or two and best early or late, once the tour buses have left.

Bamberg has more going on after dark, though it is a beer town rather than a party town. Brewery taverns fill up after work, the student bars of the Sand quarter stay lively in term time, and the beer cellars hold long summer evenings. For clubs, Nuremberg is a short train ride away.

Cesky Krumlov has a few pubs and cellar bars and busy riverside terraces in summer, but no clubs at all. Outside the peak months its lanes are empty early.

Cesky Krumlov has the better outdoors. Its signature outing, floating down the Vltava through wooded meanders by canoe or raft, starts right in town. The Bohemian Forest's spruce woods and peat bogs begin about half an hour away, and the hill of Klet has views towards the Alps on clear days.

Bamberg's countryside is gentle, made of rolling hills and woodland. Franconian Switzerland's limestone valleys and rock towers lie east, the Steigerwald beech forests lie west, and cycle paths follow the Main and Regnitz past orchard villages. It suits cyclists and walkers who like to stop at village breweries more than anyone after a single standout outing.

Bamberg is the better base for excursions, mostly thanks to its rail line. Nuremberg's castle, Würzburg's Residence, Coburg's fortress and Bayreuth are each around an hour by train. The baroque basilica of Vierzehnheiligen and Banz Abbey are closer still.

Cesky Krumlov has worthwhile targets too: the arcaded square of České Budějovice, the white castle at Hluboká, the farmhouse village of Holašovice and the monastery at Zlatá Koruna. Most are spread through the countryside, though, and Prague is too far for a comfortable day.

Neither town is built around children. Both are small and safe, and both have steep cobbled stretches that are hard going with a pushchair. Bamberg's appeal for families is low-key: playgrounds in the Hain park, boats on the Regnitz, a leisure pool with slides and beer gardens where children play among the tables.

Cesky Krumlov feels more like a storybook, with bears in the castle moat, a tower to climb and a gentle raft trip on the river. Lipno's treetop walk is nearby, but the castle's interior tours are aimed at adults.

Both centres are best on foot, and both involve short, steep cobbled climbs to the cathedral or the castle. The difference lies beyond the old town. Bamberg has city buses, a flat lower town that suits bicycles and a main-line station connecting to the rest of Franconia, so you never need a car.

Cesky Krumlov can be crossed on foot in a quarter of an hour, and its bus and railway stations are within walking distance. Beyond České Budějovice, though, connections thin out quickly, and most visitors exploring the forest or the smaller castles hire a car or join a tour.

Neither town is worth visiting for its shops, but Bamberg has more to browse. Its pedestrian streets around Grüner Markt and Lange Strasse mix high-street chains with independent bookshops and antique dealers. Bottled smoked beer and market-garden produce make good things to take home.

Cesky Krumlov's lanes are mostly souvenir shops selling Bohemian glass, garnet jewellery, marionettes and the local green moldavite. Apart from a few ceramics and print workshops, there are no fashion streets or department stores.

Cesky Krumlov is the slightly cheaper stay. Family guesthouses in the old houses, Czech meals and local beer keep everyday costs moderate, especially if you sleep just outside the centre or visit outside summer. Rooms with castle views and the separately priced castle tours add up.

Bamberg has ordinary Western European prices, kept in check by cheap beer and filling tavern meals, and walking everywhere means you spend little on transport. Old-town rooms get tight and more expensive at weekends and during the Christmas market season.

Bamberg has a year-round programme that Cesky Krumlov lacks. The Bamberg Symphony, an orchestra with an international reputation, plays its home season in the concert hall on the Regnitz. The ETA Hoffmann Theatre stages drama, and the cathedral hosts organ and choral concerts.

In Cesky Krumlov, performances cluster in summer: plays and opera in the castle garden's revolving open-air theatre and a long-running classical music festival. The rare Baroque castle theatre is mostly seen on a tour, and the rest of the year has very little to attend.

Both towns are restful once the day visitors leave, but Bamberg makes proper bathing easier. Its leisure pool has a sauna area, and the warm brine pools of Bad Staffelstein are about half an hour away by train.

Cesky Krumlov has only a few hotel wellness rooms and beer baths, and Třeboň's peat baths take a full day out. Its real asset is stillness, with slow evenings by the river or a quiet winter stay in the emptied old town.