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: Central Bohemia
Checking HOLKA, the new bridge in Prague
Opening the new bridge anywhere is a big deal. So, we were not surprised that the traffic on the new pedestrian and bicycle bridge in Prague was super busy this Saturday. And, yes, it is perfectly placed on our favorite loop through Prague neighborhoods. And it is named appropriately Holka (means a girl in Czech),Continue reading “Checking HOLKA, the new bridge in Prague”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
Chotouň
We returned here to check how this ride will be in the autumn and not in the winter when ice covered the slopes… And we modified the previous ride which started from Jílové. Start was at the small parking lot at Chotouň, usually busy during the ski season, but the temperature climbed to almost 20Continue reading “Chotouň”
Along River Through Forest To Beach, Stará Boleslav
We finally optimized the route to our favorite swimming hole “Lhota”. The only disappointment in this loop starting at Stará Boleslav is a poor quality of several stretches of the official “Labská cyklostezka” surface. This cyklostezka was built with the help of funds from European union, but obviously some contractors did not make a veryContinue reading “Along River Through Forest To Beach, Stará Boleslav”
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”
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”
Kralupy – Klecany Loop
Let’s start this trip in Kralupy at the place of a very unusual statue. Yes, it is the statue of a fictional character, Czech national hero, The good soldier Švejk, and no, it is not an unusual part of the display. The unusual part you may miss is on the ground next to the benchContinue reading “Kralupy – Klecany Loop”
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”
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”
Zámky and Bohnice, Winter Walk
We decided to explore the area between Bohnické and Drahanské valley in detail. And going through some of the natural features required to leave the bikes at home. This time we started at the tiny parking lot next to the pet cemetery in Bohnice. A visit to the pet cemetery is definitely worth the trip.Continue reading “Zámky and Bohnice, 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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
Brdy loop ride
This time we wanted to ride our favorite stretch of Brdy circle in the opposite direction then earlier. When you start from very convenient parking at the Mníšek castle, you may be tempted to take your refreshment in the bakery/sweet shop Jarolímek even before you jump on your bike. At the beginning you will rideContinue reading “Brdy loop ride”
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”
Brdy, Jince and Plešivec
Our goal on this ride from the last year was to get to the top of Plešivec peak (hill) in the Brdy Mountain range just about an hour drive from Prague. Most of the Brdy range is covered by forests, and it is one of the largest contiguously forested areas in the interior of theContinue reading “Brdy, Jince and Plešivec”
Around Prague Botanical Garden and ZOO
Quite a short ride in Prague will take you through the largest park Stromovka, across the new bridge over Vltava and around botanical garden and ZOO, which are right now closed to the public. Reasonable starting point is the lot behind Písecká brána, where the parking is free for the weekends. Ride is simple mixContinue reading “Around Prague Botanical Garden and ZOO”
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”
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”
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”
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”
Mníšek pod Brdy
This ride starts from the parking lot in front of Mníšek castle. Occasionally medieval battle reenactments are played here… Mníšek is a great starting point to go into the Brdy mountain range for hiking or biking. However, we started in the opposite direction to visit the crossing at St. Venceslas under Pleš mountain where weContinue reading “Mníšek pod Brdy”
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”
Modřany Prague- Točná
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 weContinue reading “Modřany Prague- Točná”
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”
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”
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”
Nižbor
Nižbor became one of our favorite ride starting points. Not only because the area around Berounka is magical and full of bike routes, but also because we found an ideal spot for regaining our strength after a long trip – a restaurant Zastávka Nižbor. This establishment has the atmosphere of the beginning of the lastContinue reading “Nižbor”