Modřany is a suburb of Prague, south of the city center. The area is full of history and has a few educational trails to hike and read along the way. One such educational trail is called Stezka Svobody (Freedom Trail) which starts and ends in Točná and has 22 stops over 12.5 kilometers. Although we did not stop to read each sign, we learned about how the Nazis used this area and that it was a former concentration camp for German war prisoners. One fact for the trivia nights we learned here – the last battle of World War II happened here on the 12th of May 1945.
The route Michal chose took us into the Modřanská rokle (means gorge) and along the edge of fields and forest. Točná airport (between points 9 and 10) is for glider planes but also has a nice museum and playground. Points 11 to 14 lead you along Kelt’s educational trail. Kelts (Celts) were original inhabitants of Bohemia region (actually name Bohemia is based on the Celt’s language) and around point 12 were found remnants of Celt’s oppidum (village).
At point 7 we came across a very high fence and could hear a lot of birds. Turns out we found a rescue and breeding station for a variety of birds of prey and owls. We stood there long enough to see a couple come out of the fence and go into the field to train their falcons. For more information and the possibility to arrange a tour of this facility with demonstrations go to https://penthea.org/ve-stanici.
If you park in front of Albert supermarket and come back in two hours, your parking will be free. After two hours you will have to pay. This ride was quite easy, however, the wet surface made it a little tricky in several places. Pay attention to the slippery surface between points 2 and 5. Following the yellow tourist mark from 12 to 13 is downhill and only daredevils may try to ride it – we rather walk our bikes. You should also pay attention to the downhill portion after point 14.
https://en.mapy.cz/s/jegemafata 20 km 250 m elevation gain
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