We wanted to complete our exploration of Brdy by covering the southwesternmost part of this mountain range. We visited Rožmitál pod Třemšínem earlier, but never got to the top of Třemšín. So, this was the day to fix that omission. You can usually park on the square in Rožmitál, but this time all the parkingContinue reading “Rožmitál pod Třemšínem – Brdy”
Category Archives: Bohemia
Suchdol to Velenice
A pleasant E-bike trip with no significant part on bumpy concrete panels that are so common around Třeboň. Finding a parking spot in Suchdol is not a big problem, in the worst case you can use the Penny’s parking and become a customer there. We usually avoid regular roads, but it was inevitable here. However,Continue reading “Suchdol to Velenice”
Ještěd and Kryštofovo Údolí
Kryštofovo Údolí was recently pronounced to be a village conservation zone, that is a protected heritage area. And it is well deserved, the village is really perfectly maintained. We found a perfect lodging at the place “U Uhlířů“, an old typical village house transformed into a pension and restaurant. Mrs. Houšková will make your stay specialContinue reading “Ještěd and Kryštofovo Údolí”
Hot day = Lhota lake
We have described this E-bike trip earlier, but let us add some comments: Many beaches along the path, however the best is lake Lhota. Busy on weekends, but in any case, use the free access at point 9. As you can see below, the official beach is much busier than the free one. Careful atContinue reading “Hot day = Lhota lake”
Milešov – České středohoří
The Bohemian Central Highlands (České středohoří) is the area which we neglected up to now. So, it was the high time to fix that. We started our E-bike trip from Milešov, a village under the highest mountain of this mountain range Milešovka. Even though some people get to the top with their bikes, we didContinue reading “Milešov – České středohoří”
Mnichovice – Voděradské bučiny
One of our followers suggested that we go back to Voděradské bučiny and give it another look. Our earlier E-bike trip started from Jevany, but this time we found the parking lot on Masaryk square in Mnichovice. There was a little path overlap, but since we run it in the opposite direction, we did notContinue reading “Mnichovice – Voděradské bučiny”
Rakovník – Křivoklát
This is a very simple E-bike trip which you can do on any type of bike. Just enjoy following the little stream of Rakovnický potok from Rakovník all the way to Křivoklát castle. And if you did not visit this castle, you may do it on this trip. You will be riding through a wideContinue reading “Rakovník – Křivoklát”
Prague circle and Třešňovka
Our favorite loop through Prague, which we described already several times. However, we discovered several points which are urgently reported right now (end of June). There is “Třešňobraní” (Cherry picking) at point 21! And from 25th of June it is free for all! And as we can report, there is still a lot of cherriesContinue reading “Prague circle and Třešňovka”
Brdy – The Kingdom of Digitalis
Yes, Brdy mountain range is taken over during June by Digitalis purpurea, called Náprstník červený in Czech. So, if you want to see fields and fields of flowering Digitalis, this is the time to go to Brdy. You cannot miss them, they are everywhere. We started this E-bike ride at the convenient parking lot atContinue reading “Brdy – The Kingdom of Digitalis”
Beroun and Nižbor
Riding through “green tunnels”, open fields, and along the river. There is plenty places to park your car in Beroun, or even coming by train from Prague and not having to look for parking. As usual, we were trying to avoid riding on regular roads, but in this case it was unavoidable. The first off-roadContinue reading “Beroun and Nižbor”
Milovice
For this E-bike trip you can use a train connection to Milovice from Praha Masarykovo nádraží. The trip takes about 40 minutes and you can start your ride there on the map point 22. The strange construction there is the automated bicycle storage, where you can leave your bicycle 24 hours for 5 Czech crowns.Continue reading “Milovice”
Modrava/Poledník (west loop)
This is the E-bike trip idea which you can combine with some of our other trips in Šumava, especially with the Modrava east loop. The total would be just over 60 km, totally doable on an electric bike. We stayed at hotel Modrava so it made sense to do this trip with our visiting familyContinue reading “Modrava/Poledník (west loop)”
Modrava/Kvilda (east loop)
This is the E-bike trip idea which you can combine with some of our other trips in Šumava, especially with the Modrava west loop. The total would be just over 60 km, totally doable on an electric bike. We stayed at hotel Modrava so it made sense to do this trip with our visiting familyContinue reading “Modrava/Kvilda (east loop)”
Josefův Důl – Jizera Mountains
We found a good parking spot for this E-bike trip loop in front of the hotel Peklo (Hell). And it could be the best characterization of the starting climb to the top of Jizerské hory, or the very last 800m of the ride. Anyway, with the electric bike it is doable, but I would likeContinue reading “Josefův Důl – Jizera Mountains”
Želízy – Kokořínsko
This is the E-bike ride for people who already know Kokořínsko and want to see it from a little different perspective. If it is your first visit, pick one of several rides we already reported here or especially the long one described here. We started on a parking lot operated by Mrs. Šimůnková, just becauseContinue reading “Želízy – Kokořínsko”
Peklo, Zahrádky u České Lípy
We call this E-bike ride “Around Hell” because it will lead you around natural preserve called Peklo, which in Czech means Hell. If you will have more time, you can walk through that narrow valley following the red mark as we did earlier. The best time to visit this location is during March when itContinue reading “Peklo, Zahrádky u České Lípy”
Nový Knín
Not much went according to the plan on this E-bike trip. Not even one km into the trip Polly tore the tire and punctured the inner tube. Fortunately we had a spare and luckily the tire held for the rest of the trip. Then we got lost and had to walk along a freshly plowedContinue reading “Nový Knín”
Buštěhrad, Lidice, Kladno
Very uneventful ride on a nice spring day. Parking was easy next to the playground on a quiet street in Buštěhrad, a nice small town with quite a rich history. If you have never been to Lidice, you should visit the memorial to the victims of the terror of the WWII, especially the children’s memorialContinue reading “Buštěhrad, Lidice, Kladno”
Natural Preserve Zámky – Winter walks
A short walk for winter weather. A sunny afternoon would be an ideal situation for this walk. You can start at a small parking lot in front of the animal cemetery if you arrive by car, or at point 5 (Zámky) if you arrive by bus. You can read about the animal cemetery or theContinue reading “Natural Preserve Zámky – Winter walks”
Přemyšlení
A rather short ride in Prague neighborhoods and along the Vltava River. (For learning about the Prague neighborhoods, check the video created by our friend, the famous video blogger Jen of Prague.) You can start at the parking in front of the Písecká brána, the gate from the medieval times’ fortification of Prague. This historicalContinue reading “Přemyšlení”
Mirošov, Brdy
This was one of the nicest rides in Brdy. Well, most of the rides in Brdy are pretty pleasant, even in winter. But sometimes you can get into tricky situations even here… We started in Mirošov and took a little detour through Dobřív, where you can visit the unique technical rarity – vodní hamr (water-poweredContinue reading “Mirošov, Brdy”
Únětice
An interesting short loop with a break for lunch at the Únětice brewery. We rode it earlier and we would not recommend this for the ride today with the fresh snow on the ground. Especially the part from 4 to 5 that was steep down and slippery already then… Rather walk your bike down unlessContinue reading “Únětice”
Kvilda Loop – Šumava
This was one of our favorite rides in Šumava. Starting from Kvilda, going through Modrava, along Modravský potok to the top of Šumava and along the border to Knížecí Pláně. Starting from the parking in Kvilda you can join the yellow tourist mark basically following the asphalt road. It is a much bumpier ride, butContinue reading “Kvilda Loop – Šumava”
Šumava – Strážný
Another ride through German side of Šumava. This time “halb und halb”, half on the Czech side, half in Germany. This time only a short path was really steep uphill but in the end a nice reward of a long ride downhill. A very short part of this trip is on the side of aContinue reading “Šumava – Strážný”
Železná Ruda – Šumava
We have explored Šumava quite thoroughly (see our earlier blogs), but we never crossed to the German side. And, of course, it would not be Šumava but Bayerisher Wald. So, we had to do it. We started from Železná Ruda, the village just on the border with Germany, famous for the large population of beavers,Continue reading “Železná Ruda – Šumava”
The new Černý’s Piece in Prague
Of course, we had to go there as soon as they put the head on the top of the largest statue in Prague. Taller than Žižka on Vítkov, but not taller than Stalin used to be before it was blown up… We believe that we visited all of Černý’s creations over the years, so weContinue reading “The new Černý’s Piece in Prague”
Brdy Loop from Kytín
It is this time of the year again when you can stop almost anywhere to pick and taste the blackberries or yellow or red mirabelles. This loop through Brdy will give you many opportunities to binge on these fruits. We started this ride in the tiny parking lot in Kytín, next to the brewery-restaurant Kytín.Continue reading “Brdy Loop from Kytín”
Stromovka and Letní Letná – Prague
When we come back to Prague, the first ride leads us to Stromovka or Královská obora (Royal game preserve), the park which was not founded but greatly improved by Rudolf II, the Holy Roman Emperor, in 16th century. Riding through this park is very pleasant, especially in the summer evenings with sun setting over majesticContinue reading “Stromovka and Letní Letná – Prague”
Nýrsko, Šumava
Sometimes even the best plans don’t work. The plan was the second map below. However, when we arrived at Nýrsko, we realized that charging our batteries did not work. So, what now? We are not in the shape that we would be able to do 841 m elevation gain without a little help of ourContinue reading “Nýrsko, Šumava”
Boží Dar – Abertamy
We visited Boží Dar earlier and decided to make another trip to the top of Krušné hory. The surroundings of Boží Dar are beautiful in any season and this was a little later in the year. We think that May or June is an optimal time given its popularity. Boží Dar is very busy inContinue reading “Boží Dar – Abertamy”
Žerotín – Riding on Top
This ride can be also called “How many hop fields can you see”. From the elevation profile, you see that you will be going up and down sharply several times. But it will really feel like you are riding on the top of the ridge all the time. You should be ready to ride overContinue reading “Žerotín – Riding on Top”
Mysterious Stone Arrays of Kounov
You probably know everything there is to know about Stonehenge, but I am almost certain that you’ve never heard about the Mysterious stone arrays of Kounov in Czech Republic. According to one of the theories, these arrays could have been used for the same purpose as the structures of Stonehenge. You will be able to exploreContinue reading “Mysterious Stone Arrays of Kounov”
Jenštejn Loop
This was a simple ride through open fields and along the river. We started in Jenštejn, a little village with a castle ruin. Jenštejn was founded in 1336, but in 1600 was abandoned and never repaired. If you are lucky, you may see the professional model airplane show at point 2. And if you areContinue reading “Jenštejn Loop”
Labské Pískovce and Sněžník
Even though this ride is on the border with Germany, it is not much more than an hour’s drive from Prague. We started at the small village Sněžník, which is ready for a lot of tourists coming from both sides of the border. Parking is abundant at the starting point, but if you don’t wantContinue reading “Labské Pískovce and Sněžník”
Karlova Ves – Crazy ride
We decided to explore the last piece of Křivoklátsko area which was missing from our collection. And from the map, it seemed like a nice short ride with a little questionable piece, which could have been easily avoided. In our experience, when the map says “Entry of bicycles prohibited” it does not mean anything inContinue reading “Karlova Ves – Crazy ride”
Písty Flower Forest
At this time of the year, it is kind of hard to believe that you can visit endless fields of flowers in full bloom. But, you have to know where to go. A little forest next to the tiny village of Písty is the place to go. And the middle of March is the timeContinue reading “Písty Flower Forest”
Bohnice Valleys
After exploring Bohnice area on foot during the winter, we decided to put together the loop which would cover most of this interesting area. In this report we included two parts that you may consider biking with great care and in parts only walk your bike. Especially on the busy weekend days… We usually startContinue reading “Bohnice Valleys”
Pravda Ruin – Domoušice – Winter Walk
Nice walk with a little climb up and down to the castle ruin Pravda (Truth). This ruin is one of the largest we have seen around here. And it was relatively very short-lived – founded in the 15th century and abandoned in the 16th – after it was burned down by the Swede army. YouContinue reading “Pravda Ruin – Domoušice – Winter Walk”
Nymburk to Libice
The last day of the year 2021 was extremely warm and even sunny. And because we biked on the first day of the year, we certainly had to be on our bikes on the last day as well. We decided to stay on the paved roads as many forest roads might be pretty muddy. TheContinue reading “Nymburk to Libice”
Dobřív Brdy
This is the ride from earlier this year, which we for some reason did not report. The highlight of this trip was vodní hamr Dobřív (at point 2), which is part of the West Bohemian Museum in Pilsen. It is actually the largest and most important monument of its kind in the Czech Republic. AndContinue reading “Dobřív Brdy”
Nižbor to Křivoklát
Well, this is a new blog about the ride from last year. This means that some of the observations may have possibly changed. This was a quite challenging and enjoyable ride, so we thought that it may deserve a spot here. We started from Nižbor again. You can use a large parking lot at theContinue reading “Nižbor to Křivoklát”
Stradonice Nižbor – Winter Walk
Even though we did this walk in the winter, it may be nice at any time of the year. The only part which is tricky when it is slippery (rain or snow) is the very sharp descent from the Stradonické oppidum to point 6. That part is definitely not passable with bicycles! The best placeContinue reading “Stradonice Nižbor – Winter Walk”
Karlštejn
Very short ride around the most visited and historically important castle Karlštejn. This castle was founded by Karel IV, the Holly Roman Emperor, the king who changed the history of the country in many ways. Castle served as a treasure vault for the Czech Crown Jewels. Its appearance is quite unique and there are speculationContinue reading “Karlštejn”
Ládví, Prague
There are still little rides in Prague that we did not completely documented. This one is a combination of perfect bike paths and challenging struggles. We start again from Letná, where finding parking is easy. After riding through Stromovka, you cross the new bridge over Vltava and continue straight to go around the botanical garden.Continue reading “Ládví, Prague”
Davle – Jílové circle
We like this area and we started a couple of our hikes in Davle before we were completely turned into E-bikers. We had our regular bikes before, but this area seemed too challenging for us. However with E-MTB nothing seems out of reach anymore. However, for this particular ride we would not recommend a regularContinue reading “Davle – Jílové circle”
Nové Hutě – Šumava
As soon as we could, we returned to Šumava without hordes of tourists. Our base was an AirBnB at paní Lenka place in Nové Hutě. The problem in Nové Hutě is the lack of willing workers and therefore no open restaurants. Well, not exactly. If the sign in front of restaurant says “Food and drinksContinue reading “Nové Hutě – Šumava”
Litoměřice
We planned a different ride than what we actually did. But what we present here is actually rideable. Sometimes what you see on the map is so much different than the reality. And this is the greatest advantage if somebody, like us, really checked the whole proposed route. Some of the pictures below shows theContinue reading “Litoměřice”
Mšec and Nové Strašecí
Very relaxing trip through the “hop country”. Convenient point to start the loop is a large parking space in Mšec. We have chosen that village for a nostalgic reasons: Michal worked in Mšec during his high school studies on the “hop picking brigade”. What was happening during these brigades was very well depicted in aContinue reading “Mšec and Nové Strašecí”
Bušohrad or “You may not see any bikers”
If you are tired of riding along “cyklostezky” along with hundreds of your fellow bikers, you may consider this ride. You may not meet anybody, during the workday it is almost guranteed. Besides 1 km on the road just before the end of a trip, you will be on forest roads, none of which isContinue reading “Bušohrad or “You may not see any bikers””
Hlavenec and Lake Lhota
This ride can be called “Mirabelky circle” (“Yellow plum circle”). This is the time when mirabelky (or špendlíky in Czech) are ripe and unbelievably plentiful. They are found everywhere along the roads and paths. And apparently nobody is picking them. It is true that they have relatively large ratio of pit to the meat, butContinue reading “Hlavenec and Lake Lhota”
Around Lhota Lake
We have been to this area several times in summer and in the winter. It is especially rewarding in the summer hot days. We discovered the recreational Lhota lake where you can swim and lay in the sand. We always carried (although not necessary) our bathing suits and towels on the summer rides just inContinue reading “Around Lhota Lake”
Two rides around Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov is one of the most popular destinations in Czech Republic. For that reason we recommend not going there in the high tourist season. But just in case you will go there, May or June may be perfect. If you want to splurge on accommodation, you can stay in a fancy hotel “Růže” (Rose)Continue reading “Two rides around Český Krumlov”
Liběchov Kokořín Houska
This was one of our longer summer rides through Kokořínsko, a very scenic area with a lot of sandstone formations. Sandstone was an ideal material for the local artist Václav Levý, who created many sculptures while he worked on the castle Liběchov. We started the route at the castle and followed part of the circleContinue reading “Liběchov Kokořín Houska”
Příchovice – Jizera Mountains
This area is near and dear to Michal’s heart and is where the family mountain cottage is located. In the middle of a ski slope in the protected area of Paseky is where we stayed for a few days to really get a feel for our new electric bikes. The goal of this ride wasContinue reading “Příchovice – Jizera Mountains”
Rožmitál pod Třemšínem
Brdy is probably our favorite destination. It is not far from Prague and there are so many possibilities for a nice not crowded ride. This time we started from Rožmitál pod Třemšínem, a small town at the western edge of Brdy. If you never heard about Jakub Jan Ryba, it probably means that you didContinue reading “Rožmitál pod Třemšínem”
Short ride around Hostivař lake
Police is really checking whether you would be leaving Prague district. That was a reason to turn back at point 13. Újezd u Průhonic is still Prague, Průhonice village is not. So after the restriction will be lifted, you can extend the trip to go around the Průhonice park and through that village. If youContinue reading “Short ride around Hostivař lake”
Mšeno – Mácha’s Path
This is the ride from the July last year and it can serve as an example that just following GPX file is not a good idea. Do not try this route without reading our comments. You can easily ride similar circle around Mšeno without getting into troubles we experienced. But it is our motto: “RatherContinue reading “Mšeno – Mácha’s Path”
Bezděz to Houska
This trip would be much better if there would be no snow and ice on the ground. So, do not follow us right away, wait for at least a week. However, if you are impatient and want to go right now, you can easily avoid the tricky parts and use only the good roads. ThisContinue reading “Bezděz to Houska”
Ski slope Chotouň
You may not know that there is a ski slope in Chotouň only 10 km from the Prague border. Even though it was about 10 degrees C, the slope was still in good shape with packed snow. However, no skiers were allowed due to the quarantine. And that was the reason why the parking lotContinue reading “Ski slope Chotouň”
Třeboň
As the snow melts, we are looking forward to warmer biking, hiking, canoeing and maybe you are too. A little less than 2 hours from Prague you can reach the city of Třeboň. This area is flat and full of ponds famous for the production of carp. Most of those ponds were built in theContinue reading “Třeboň”
Kunžak – Česká Kanada
This ride we did quite a while ago, but since this week was pretty lousy weather with up to -15 C and we did not feel like riding. This just means we have time to write about some historical rides. One of them was in the area around Kunžak which is called Česká Kanada. TheContinue reading “Kunžak – Česká Kanada”
Veltrusy – Říp – Mělník Circle
This was one of the longer trips of the summer of 2020. We started from the parking lot in Veltrusy and planned to visit the castle (national cultural heritage site) on the way back. The plan was to follow the red tourist mark “Poutní cesta Blaník – Říp“. This pilgrimage route is connecting two ofContinue reading “Veltrusy – Říp – Mělník Circle”
Lužec – Mělník Circle
We returned to this area to check the new bridge for bikers over Vltava river in the village of Lužec. Last year we took the boat across the river at the same place and the operator told us that we are almost the last people going by boat since the bridge will be opening soon.Continue reading “Lužec – Mělník Circle”
Benátky nad Jizerou
This would be a nice ride if the path would be covered with snow or just mud. However, combination with icy patches made this trip a little treacherous. We had been involuntarily “debiked” several times and came back to the car with a lot of extra mud everywhere. Starting point we found at the villageContinue reading “Benátky nad Jizerou”
Brdy in Winter
We started from the same parking lot as our ride in the summer. It was a nice day, but still pretty cold, so we did just a little loop. It was also quite icy, with fresh snow on several stretches, we did not take any steep slopes, but rather stayed on the top of theContinue reading “Brdy in Winter”
Some Winter Walks
Even though we are addicted to E-biking, really cold weather gave us the chance to go through some places where it would be really hard or even impossible to bike. So, we decided to share the maps of our walks with you, just in case you would like to explore the same places. Třebenice: The firstContinue reading “Some Winter Walks”
Klánovice
A very quick decision this morning to go for a short ride in the neighborhood led us to the town of Klánovice with its well-known natural park. Even though we did just a quick ride through this nice forest, we realized that this area may provide an opportunity for a long ride without actually repeatingContinue reading “Klánovice”
Lázně Toušeň and Káraný
Nice ride to test our new winter gear – gloves, hoods, and shoe covers (see above). And we like to say – yes, they were needed! Parking close to the town center is convenient and not very crowded even in the summer when we did our ride from here the first time. As there isContinue reading “Lázně Toušeň and Káraný”
Amerika Kanada and Mexiko
In the cold and wet weather, this was only for dedicated e-bikers like us. The problem was wet mud from the start up to point 5. At point 4 you will have to climb down a very short but steep and slippery part and another one a little bit further. After point 5 it wasContinue reading “Amerika Kanada and Mexiko”
Dolní Břežany
Dolní Břežany is a village just next to the city limits of Prague. It seems to be an up and coming prosperous area with a lot of very modern and comfortable neighborhoods. Dolní Břežany is the location of world importance due to two super modern laser centers (HiLASE and ELI beamlines) which were funded byContinue reading “Dolní Břežany”
Testing Bikes on Snow and Krčský Les
Finally snow arrived in Prague on the first of December and we could not resist going out and test e-bikes on the fresh snow-covered roads in Letná park. Yes, e-bikes behave a little differently mostly because they are heavier. So, no maps for that little trip, just a couple of pictures. However, only two daysContinue reading “Testing Bikes on Snow and Krčský Les”
Liblice
On this very cold day (3°C) in November, we started our ride from a small parking lot next to Liblice castle. This castle hotel, owned by the Czech Academy of Sciences, is an absolute winner of the Hotel of the Year competition for 2020. It was recently renovated into the original splendor and it isContinue reading “Liblice”
Vítkov
This very comfortable Prague city ride is for any type of weather, however, clear skies will allow you to enjoy several nice viewpoints. I remember ten years ago biking in Prague was considered quite dangerous, but this route really shows how you can stay on dedicated bike paths without interacting with city traffic. After startingContinue reading “Vítkov”
Stará Boleslav – Hlavenec – Lhota
Although this trip is still unique in the actual mapped route, we have been to this area several times in summer. Especially when we discovered the recreational Lhota lake to swim and lay in the sand during the hot days. We always carried (although not necessary) our bathing suits and towels on the summer ridesContinue reading “Stará Boleslav – Hlavenec – Lhota”
Letná to Šárka
From our house to one of our favorite parks in Prague, Šárka. A comfortable ride which can be done either as one trip, or it can be split into two pieces. It will guide you through the map via figure eight, so if you are not sure whether you want to do the whole thing,Continue reading “Letná to Šárka”
Radotín Circle
A warm November day seemed ideal for just an easy afternoon ride through the autumn forest. It went through the forest, but it was not easy. The first difficult part was a straight uphill trudge on a path used by horseback riders just where the red tourist mark turns to the right from the road.Continue reading “Radotín Circle”
Bohnice – Pet cemetery
All Saints Day is a perfect time to bike through the Bohnice area and visit the Pet Cemetery or Pietní Park. It is not accepting new “customers” because it has been full for years. Even so, there were lit candles and fresh flowers on pet’s graves that had deceased years ago. The pet owners wereContinue reading “Bohnice – Pet cemetery”
Zbiroh, Křivoklátsko
Zbiroh is a small town in the Plzen region about an hour from Prague. Even though Zbiroh castle is not on our Top 88 Castles in Czech Republic book it does stand out prominently on the hill above the town. The famous painter, Alfons Mucha, lived in the East Wing with his family from 1912-28. Continue reading “Zbiroh, Křivoklátsko”
Jílové to Týnec
A blue sky in Autumn should never be wasted, especially to see the changing colors of the leaves. I’ve never been to the US, East Coast to in fall, but can imagine the beauty may compare to what we rode through in this area. Due to its picturesque setting, the village of Jílové is aContinue reading “Jílové to Týnec”
Obecnice – Brdy
With daylight savings and cooler autumn weather, we are going back to shorter trips from Prague and into the Brdy mountains as there are still so many different routes to explore. Most of the Brdy mountains is covered by forest, and it is one of the largest contiguously forested areas in the interior of theContinue reading “Obecnice – Brdy”
Štěchovice and Slapy
We started this ride in the village of Štěchovice about 30 km from Prague. This area is very pretty as Vltava river cuts through the hillside taking plenty of sharp turns and we highly recommend this for hikers as well. Our trip included views of two major dams (Štěchovicka and Slapska) which are quite impressive.Continue reading “Štěchovice and Slapy”
Kladno
Not far from Prague is Kladno which is somewhat of a commuter town for those who do not live in Prague. Kladno is known as the historical birthplace of heavy industry (steel and mining) and for the past 20 years, Kladno is one of the world’s four Lego manufacturing sites. Its also the birthplace ofContinue reading “Kladno”
Central Bohemia Nature Park
The Central Bohemia Nature Park has an area of 4,575 hectare and starts at the southern edge of Prague (near Zbraslav) and goes through forest areas through Závist, Zvolská homola and Zahořanské údolí to Petrov. Through the Zahrádka forest, it reaches the right bank of the Sázava River and continues through Medníky around Krňany along theContinue reading “Central Bohemia Nature Park”
Loučeň and Dětenice
Although we didn’t visit the Loučeň Chateau in the village of Loučeň, it seems we need to go back to see the chateau which is surrounded by a large English park and has recently been enriched by a unique European feature – a set of 12 labyrinths and mazes. However, we did find a perfectContinue reading “Loučeň and Dětenice”
Jetřichovice – Czech Switzerland
A little note: Due to the forest fires in 2022, some parts of this E-bike trip may not be accessible. Check the recent situation on mapy.cz. Recent rides there you can find here. This was one of the top ten rides this year! This area is one of the four national parks in Czech RepublicContinue reading “Jetřichovice – Czech Switzerland”
Manětín
Grateful for another autumn day we decided we should explore more of the interior regions of Czech Republic. The drive itself was worth it as it went through more agricultural areas than urban. The region is covered with hops fields and you can stop in the town of Krušovice (https://krusovice.cz/en/historie) to try their beer whichContinue reading “Manětín”
Zbečno – Central Bohemia
One of the more well known castles to visit not far from Prague is Křivoklát, but if you don’t make a lot more time for some hiking or biking you will miss the beautiful Křivoklátsko, a landscape protected area. Because it was the hunting grounds for the kings and princes since the Middle Ages itContinue reading “Zbečno – Central Bohemia”
Stříbrná Skalice
When the autumn days are nice, Czechs refer to it as ‘babí léto’ which means grandmother’s summer. It is what we know as ‘indian summer’ and this first day of October was definitely a nice day. This trip is only a 45 minute drive south east from Prague and near the Sázava river. There wereContinue reading “Stříbrná Skalice”
Železné Hory – Seč
Železné Hory or Iron Mountains is about two hours east of Prague and not too far from the more touristy town of Kutná Hora (known for its old silver mines). These mountains are not particularly high which made our ride quite easy and relaxed through the forests. We did this ride in September when mostContinue reading “Železné Hory – Seč”
Šumava – Černé jezero
Feeling fortunate for the extended summer weather into September we made another trip back to Šumava National Park. Although its only a 2 ½ hour drive from Prague it seems more efficient to spend the night there to make the most of the warm days. This time we stayed at the northern end of theContinue reading “Šumava – Černé jezero”
Šumava – Prášily
On the way to the start of our trip in Prášily and not far from the hotel where we stayed in Železná Ruda is an area taken over by beavers (bobr in Czech). If you are interested in the Eurasian beaver’s civil engineering you can get a unique view of little towns full of beaverContinue reading “Šumava – Prášily”
Jevany, Central Bohemia
This ride was one of the easy ones and quite uneventful – with the exception of very close encounter of Polly’s bike with the car making very sharp turn uphill. Luckily brakes on both sides worked well. She claims it was her lucky feather. The town of Jevany and the forests above the ponds areContinue reading “Jevany, Central Bohemia”
Beroun – Žebrák
Many of our bike trips are fairly close to Prague and Beroun is no exception. This town is only a quick 30 minute drive from the center and easily reached by train as well. Beroun has everything it takes to make it a nice visit even without biking. In former times it used to beContinue reading “Beroun – Žebrák”
Radotín and Berounka – Central Bohemia
Well, if you want to start your bike ride on an appropriate place, then start at the Ski and Bike Centrum Radotín (http://www.skiservis.cz/). They will let you park at their parking lot and you should definitely visit their warehouse (especially if you want to drop a lot of money on the next bike of yours)Continue reading “Radotín and Berounka – Central Bohemia”
Konopiště, Central Bohemia
Konopiště is about an hour drive from Prague and is one of my favorite castles. The castle is a four-winged, three-story castle located in the village of Konopiště, which is now a part of the town of Benešov. It has become famous as the last residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to theContinue reading “Konopiště, Central Bohemia”
Brdy, Central Bohemia – Stožec
Stožec peak is only 635 meters and if we weren’t looking for a geocache we might have missed it. As a starting point we selected the parking lot at the top of the Brdy range. You should be there early morning during weekends to get a spot since many bikers and hikers start here. ThisContinue reading “Brdy, Central Bohemia – Stožec”
Adršpach, Eastern Bohemia
Adršpach is a small village in the North Eastern part of Czech Republic bordering with Poland. We parked at the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks Nature preserve and paid to walk among these very unusual sandstone rocks. It did not disappoint us with the massive stones. You don’t need more than two hours to visit the park and youContinue reading “Adršpach, Eastern Bohemia”
Mariánské Lázně and Kynžvart, Western Czechia
Mariánské Lázně is in the far West region of Czech Republic close to the German border. The main attraction is the many mineral springs (over 100) which gave rise to spa popularity. Similar to the Karlovy Vary town which is also famous for spas and the annual film festival, Mariánské Lázně is more low key.Continue reading “Mariánské Lázně and Kynžvart, Western Czechia”
Špindlerův Mlýn in Krkonoše Mountains, Northern Czechia
Špindlerův Mlýn is busy at any season. In the winter it is a top destination for skiers and in the summer there are swarms of tourist trying to find the best hiking path. The town is more like a resort area with plenty of restaurants and accommodations. You might see a tall guy dressed inContinue reading “Špindlerův Mlýn in Krkonoše Mountains, Northern Czechia”
Boží Dar, Northern Czechia
A bike ride around Boží Dar in Krušné hory became one of our favorite rides. In this very quiet area you will be riding through deep forests and lush meadows time to time touching borders of Germany. Passing other bike riders you would never know whether they would greet you “Ahoj” or “Guten tag”. QuiteContinue reading “Boží Dar, Northern Czechia”