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”
Category Archives: Bohemia
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”
Orlické hory – Northeastern Bohemia
Orlické hory (or Eagle Mountains) are located on the border with Poland and most of the area is designated protected landscape area. The highest point is Velká Deštná (1115 m). We found the accommodation in a village Říčky and our landlord recommended the ride on the top of the range (hřebenovka). We added the visitContinue reading “Orlické hory – Northeastern Bohemia”
Šumava – Nová Pec
Šumava National Park is one of the four national parks of Czech Republic. The other three are Krkonoše, Podyjí, and Česke Švýcarsko. Characteristics of the natural environment: almost 85% of the area is forested in the central part. At higher altitude locations, there are remnants of primeval forests, abundant wetlands and raised bogs and glacialContinue reading “Šumava – Nová Pec”
Šumava – Kvilda
The Bohemian Forest, known as Šumava is a low mountain range that creates a natural border with Czech Republic, Germany and Austria. This region has a complicated history as part of the Iron Curtain large areas were stripped of human settlement. The unique circumstances led to preservation of this region making it a beautiful placeContinue reading “Šumava – Kvilda”
Kolín to Týnec
Nice flat ride along Labe from a historic town of Kolín to Týnec nad Labem and back. We started at a parking lot of the supermarket Billa at Náměstí Republiky. After crossing the railroad and Labe using an interesting modern bridge at point 2, you will join the Elbe route (Labská cyklostezka). This bike pathContinue reading “Kolín to Týnec”
Doksy, Máchovo Jezero
This is a good ride for a nice summer day. If possible avoid the weekend since Máchovo jezero is a popular destination for all kinds of water sports. This lake was created on the order of Karel IV in 1366. It was only named in 1961 after Karel Hynek Mácha, the famous and controversial Czech poet.Continue reading “Doksy, Máchovo Jezero”
Hrubá Skála – Český Ráj
Český Ráj or Bohemian Paradise is a Protected Landscape Area and a perfect day trip from Prague for hikers and bikers. We typically visit this are at least 3 times a year because it really is paradise. It was declared in 1955, as the first nature reserve in Czechia. At first, it was 95 squareContinue reading “Hrubá Skála – Český Ráj”
Nymburk to Lysá nad Labem
The town of Nymburk, 28 miles east of Prague is worth a visit and a walk around. The main feature of the town is the Gothic brick Saint Giles Church. This church, together with the preserved buildings of the Nymburk fortification, is a unique example of brick Gothic architecture in the Czech lands. The dominantContinue reading “Nymburk to Lysá nad Labem”