Bohemians Lost in Bohemia.

Transnational Backpackers and Lifestyle Migrants in Český Krumlov

Abstract

This study presents the innovative results of repeated ethnographic research and brings insight into the contemporary phenomena of lifestyle migration and backpacking. The studied issue is examined on the example of several groups of foreigners in Český Krumlov, Czechia in the period between approximately 1995 and 2015. These groups were located around several hostels. The main focus is placed on the life trajectories and lifestyle preferences of the studied groups, which are illustrated on the stories of particular actors. In conclusion, the transnational backpackers and lifestyle migrants in Krumlov, i.e., on the alleged “new left bank”, were searching for happier and more content lives. Lifestyle migration was perceived as a certain escape from modernity, consumerism, and materialism. In the first decade of the 21st century, the lifestyle of many of the transnational backpackers could be compared to Bauman’s “vagabond”, nevertheless, presently, the town is “flooded” with tourists. These shifts in the tourism industry according to the majority of the transnational backpackers and lifestyle migrants had a negative impact on the town’s “magic”, which has begun to disappear due to its gentrification and disneylandization.