It was surprising to find out that miles and miles of bike paths are available just five minutes from the Bratislava center. As we quickly realized, it is important to pay attention to the traffic signs and do not depend entirely on the phone navigation – yes, you can drive your car pretty high inContinue reading “Malé Karpaty, Slovakia”
Tag Archives: Apache
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”
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”
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”
Luková Ghost Church
We visited the “ghost church” in Luková five years ago and we were wondering whether it still stands since it seemed like it was ready to fall apart. And it seemed like the countryside around Žlutice was ready to be visited by our bikes. The first surprise was visible already from far away – theContinue reading “Luková Ghost Church”
Dalešice
While you are visiting Třebíč, the UNESCO world heritage site, you may also consider a ride along the Dalešická přehrada, one of the best places for boating and all kinds of water sports in Czechia. The dam of this lake is the highest in Czechia and the second highest in Europe. Water from the lakeContinue reading “Dalešice”
Tábor Planá Soběslav
Ride along (sometimes very close to) the river Lužnice with the visit to the town of Soběslav and Tábor. We started this loop ride on the street “Na Černé” in Planá nad Lužnicí where you can find good parking spots along the road everywhere. Our main reason for starting there was to visit our friends,Continue reading “Tábor Planá Soběslav”
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”
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”
Two rides in Hrubý Jeseník, Moravia-Silesia
For the exploration of Hrubý Jeseník, we selected the village Branná as our base. Our accommodation was in the castle Kolštejn (founded in 1325). The castle has a mix of gothic styles but is chateau-like primarily. It had gone through at least 14 different owners in 600 or so years. Both nights we had dinnerContinue reading “Two rides in Hrubý Jeseník, Moravia-Silesia”
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”
Hradec Králové
Have you ever looked at a picture and wondered what time it was taken? Well, it doesn’t matter because what’s important is the memories you make. And that’s exactly what we did on our bike ride from Hradec Kralove to Jaromer. The journey was smooth sailing, with nothing eventful happening. However, we did stumble uponContinue reading “Hradec Králové”
Varvažov – Orlík dam
We arrived at Varvažov in the late afternoon, so we did have time for only a short ride around. The goal was to see the castle Zvíkov from across the Orlík reservoir, the largest hydroelectric dam in Czechia. The plan to follow the red tourist mark, called Sedláčkova stezka, was not realistic. At point 4Continue reading “Varvažov – Orlík dam”
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”
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”
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”
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”
Blansko – Macocha
Very nice ride through Moravský kras (Moravian Karst). This area is a protected landscape to the north of Brno. It encompasses a number of notable geological features, including roughly 1100 caverns and gorges and covers an area of roughly 92 km². We started from the town of Blansko and after climbing up through a pleasantContinue reading “Blansko – Macocha”
Gdansk – All the way to Russian border
Even though there was not exactly beach weather, we went to ride along the one of the longest beaches we ever saw. Well, from the look on the map we expected riding with a nice view of the beach… However, we were for most of the time probably about 30 meters from the beach, butContinue reading “Gdansk – All the way to Russian border”
Gdansk, Poland
We decided to expand our biking operation to Poland. And of course, we had to visit the picturesque town of Gdansk. Biking here is extremely simple, as there is no elevation gain to speak of. The only thing may be a wind, which was pretty cold, as it was the end of October. We wantedContinue reading “Gdansk, Poland”
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”
Dubá, Kokořínsko
A beautiful ride through the sandstone formations. If you start your loop in the town of Dubá, then you will have to ride a little bit on the pretty busy road 260. If you want to avoid this, you can park in points 2, 3, or 4. The ride from 4 to 10 is aContinue reading “Dubá, Kokořínsko”
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”
Znojmo
There are four national parks in Czechia – Krkonoše, Šumava, Českosaské Švýcarsko (Bohemian Switzerland), and Podyjí. We have biked the first three and Podyjí was still missing in our collection. We set our base at Znojmo, nice town close to the border with Austria. Parking in the center of Znojmo was not difficult and anyContinue reading “Znojmo”
Brno
Once we were in southern Moravia to explore the last national park of Czechia, Podyjí, we had to stop in Brno. We stayed overnight here and enjoyed the taste of the nightlife in this Moravian metropolis. The main square “Náměstí svobody” (Liberty square) was really alive on this Saturday night with the political parties tryingContinue reading “Brno”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”