Bike tour czech republic, bicycle tours europe

Sumava Bicycle Tour - Following the footprints of the Iron Curtain

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Trip Length: 7 days/ 6 nights/5 bike days Difficulty Level: Strenuous Tour length: 160 km/ 100 miles Self led tours : Any date from May till October Min group size for non scheduled guided tours 6 Language: English + German Highlights: Prague (UNESCO) Cesky Krumlov (UNESCO) Sumava National Park Vimperk city and castle Rozmberk castle

Accept our invitation for a bike tour around Czech Republic’s largest national park, which thanks to its well-preserved state is proud to bear the nickname of “the Green Roof (or Lungs) of Europe”. Sumava is not only a collection of natural beauties of immeasurable value, but also hides many historical monuments, such as the second largest historical complex and Renaissance pearl of the Czech Republic– Cesky Krumlov. Other historical gems hidden in the green coat of the national park are castles of Rozmberk, Vimperk and Klenova, glass making villages and 200 years old water canals for wood transport. In addition to all these pearls, this tour starts and ends in the metropolis of European culture – in Prague, which is packed full with historical sites and unusual experiences!

The bike stages lead through a hilly terrain, so this tour is recommended for more trained bikers or as fully guided or supported tour.

Day 1 – Arrival to Prague
Description of the day: Accommodation in Prague, optional sightseeing tour of the city. It is strongly recommended extending your stay in the Czech Republic in order to be able to visit Prague and all its beauties. Adventura can arrange accommodations and tour guiding services for you. (for more see town tours).

Day 2 – Zelezna Ruda – Srni
Distance: 28 km / 18 miles (shortest way)
Description of the day: During this bike tour around Czech Republic’s national park Sumava, on the way from Prague to the Sumava Mountains, we will stop to visit the Svihov Water Castle and the nearby town of Klatovy, which is symbolically called “the Gate to Sumava”. In case of your interest, we can also visit the ruins of the Klenova Castle. After arrival briefing including information about the organization of the tour, the travel plan, adjustment of bikes, and getting familiar with safety during transport. We will start our bike adventures close to the border town of Zelezna Ruda, which is already inside the Sumava National Park. The bike stage of the day is relatively short, but it provides us with many possibilities for side trips to very interesting places. Among those places could belong visiting the Prasily Lake or the Laka Lake. Those in better physical condition should not leave out ascent to the highest point of all bike trails in the region – the Polednik Hill. There is a view tower on top which offers amazing views of the surrounding area – both in the Czech Republic as well as in Germany. Just before we finish today’s stage, we will pass the local Vchynsko-Tetovsky Water Channel. We will spend the night in an old wood processing village called Srni. Here, we will have a chance to admire a beautiful shingled roof church from the beginning of the 19th century and houses built in the typical local architecture.

Day 3 – Srni – Vimperk
Distance: 37 km / 23 miles (shortest way)
Description of the day: The third day of this bike tour around Czech Republic will be spent whole day in the heart of the Sumava Mountains. In the morning, we will ascend along the Vydra River and we will continue through the swampy areas all the way to the village of Kvilda. This village is located at the highest altitude in Bohemia and is famous for the harsh winters which it has to sustain every year. From here, we can continue in two different directions. We recommend the 18 km-long variant which will take you to the spring of the Vltava River. Because it is located in the area formerly closed off due to the iron curtain, we can enjoy amazing forests and dry moorland. Because of the strict nature protection measures, we will not be able to have the support vehicle with us since cars are prohibited from entering this area. The second variant is only 8 km long and takes you along the Tepla Vltava River to the village of Borova Lada. From this village, all of us together will go to the town of Vimperk with a Renaissance castle and a well preserved town center.

Day 4 – Vimperk – Horni Plana
Distance: 51 km / 32 miles
Description of the day: In the morning of the fourth day of this bike tour around Czech Republic, we will get back all the altitude meters, which we have lost yesterday – we will take a romantic train ride or we will go by car to the Boubin Primeval Forest. It was decided that this area will be left without any human intervention and will be left only to the processes of nature. Because of this decision, we can admire nature the way it used to look hundreds of years ago, as our ancestors used to know it. After passing the old glass making village of Lenora, we will continue our journey through an area of beautiful meanders of the Vltava River to the place where it flows into the Lipno Dam. After a relatively short climb, we will reach an important historical technical site of the region – the Schwarzenberg Water Canal. It was built 200 years ago and it was used for transporting wood and timber from the inaccessible mountain ridges into the valley. The Canal goes through the watershed divide between the North Sea (through the Vltava River) and the Black Sea (through the Danube River). We will spend the night in the town of Horni Plana. But first, we must cross the Lipno Dam taking a small ferry.

Day 5 – Horni Plana – Vyssi Brod
Distance: 49 km / 30 miles
Description of the day: We will spend this day close to the Lipno Dam. Therefore, there will be plenty opportunities for us to go swimming. Most of the day, we will have an incredible view of the opposite mountain peaks and ridges of the Sumava Mountains. To make today’s program more interesting, we will go for a boat ride (leaving the town of Frymburk), during which we will get refreshed for the remaining kilometers on the bike. Just before reaching the town of Vyssi Brod, we will divide into two groups. Those, who do not mind the terrain to be little rougher will continue along the left bank of the Vltava River through the area called Certova Stena (the Devil’s Wall) where the river creates a beautiful scenery and romantic seclusions. Those, who prefer a more comfortable ride, will go down the road on the right bank of the river. Our meeting point during this bike tour around Czech Republic will be the town of Vyssi Brod with a magnificent church and a monastery dating back to the 13th century.

Day 6 – Vyssi Brod – Cesky Krumlov
Distance: 47 km / 30 miles
Description of the day: Even the last day of our bike tour around Czech Republic’s national park Sumava will be spent close to the Vltava River. Going downstream, we will sooner or later reach the medieval castle of Rozmberk, which for many centuries used to be an unconquerable fortress protecting entrance into the Czech Kingdom. In the town of Rozmberk, we can divide into two groups again – one will continue along the Vltava River on a comfortable, but little busier road to the town of Cesky Krumlov. The others, who will want to test their physical condition for the last time on this journey, will continue through a hilly area surrounding the Vltava River with amazing views of the valley and breathtaking sceneries. Both groups will meet in Cesky Krumlov. Visiting this town will be, without any doubt, the highlight of this entire bike tour around Czech Republic’s national park Sumava. This Renaissance town, along with the castle, is the second largest historical complex in the Czech Republic and is rightfully inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Day 7 – Cesky Krumlov – Prague
Description of the day: Today you will be taken back to Prague. On the way, it will be possible to stop at a beautiful neo-Gothic castle built in post-Tutor style in Hluboka nad Vltavou or in a grandiose castle residence of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand d´Este – the Konopiste Castle. We will finish our bike tour around Czech Republic’s national park Sumava dropping you off at the airport or in front of a hotel in Prague. In case of your interest, we can arrange accommodation and tour guiding services for you (for more see town tours).

Map (click to enlarge interactive map):

*Price for group of 2; group of 4; group of 6 individual bikers

Book this tour!

Do you want to know more? Do you want to shorten or prolong the bike trips? Do you have special requests? If so, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to meet your requests!

What is Included:

We reserve the right to change the itinerary according to accommodation availability and correct errors as well.