Czech Elbe River Trail: Špindlerův Mlýn - Hřensko
 Duration: 9 days / 8 nights
Length: 300 km /
188 miles
Trip rating: Easy
Highlights: Elbe River source, town of Špindlerův Mlýn, zoo and safari in Dvůr Králové, Baroque Chateau and Matyáš Braun sculpture park in Kuks, Poděbrady Spa, Stará Boleslav basilica with crypt, Mělník Chateau, Litoměřice town fortification and Gothic houses, Pravčická Gate Natural Bridge (Bohemian Switzerland)
This superb trail leads you along the largest
Czech river, the Elbe (total length 360 km)
and begins close to its source in the mighty
Krkonoše Mountains. The route is easy and
it goes downhill as well as being fairly straight. Like the majority of cycling trails following
water courses, this route offers beautiful views of the river (Elbe pass and the confluence
of the Elbe with the Vltava at Mělník). There are also very interesting monuments in towns
along the route some of whose centres are protected areas (Vrchlabí,
Jaroměř, Hradec Králové, Pardubice, Kolín, Poděbrady, Stará Boleslav). In addition, there
are a host of chateaux and castles which are possible to visit (Kuks, Vrchlabí, Kunětická
Hora, Mělník, Liběchov, Děčín).
| SELF-GUIDED TOUR |
|
| Price (based on double occupancy) what's included |
2020 Dates |
| 1690 EUR per person |
Daily from April through October |
| Single supplement: 400 EUR |
|
| 15% supplement for single travellers on a self-guided tour* |
|
*The car and luggage transfers are calculated based on a minimum of two
people. If you go solo on a self-guided tour, you will pay a 15% tour
supplement to cover the cost of the extra person not going. |
|
Road bike or e-bike supplement:
15 EUR / bike / day
|
|
|
| GUIDED TOUR |
|
| Price (based on double occupancy) what's included |
2020 Dates |
| 2620 EUR per person: Group size 4-7 people |
June 1 - 9 |
| 2330 EUR per person: Group size 8+ people |
September 14 - 22 |
Single supplement: 400 EUR
|
Contact our partner if you would like to request a custom, guided bicycle tour on different dates |
Road bike or e-bike supplement:
15 EUR / bike / day
|
|
|
Day 1:
Špindlerův Mlýn – Dvůr Králové (47 km / 30 miles)
The first day begins with a beautiful ride from Špindlerův Mlýn to Dvůr Králové nad Labem with
a height difference of 400 m. The first stop is the Renaissance chateau in the town of
Vrchlabí. The chateau is designed according to the year and
seasons. It has 4 towers, 12 entrances, 52 rooms and 365 windows (unfortunately some
of the windows and entrances have been filled in). The town is also known for its
Augustinian monastery in which the Krkonoše museum is housed. The next break on the
route is Hostinné with its gallery of antique art. Today's route finishes in Dvůr Králové,
famous not only for its well known zoo and safari, but also for other interesting monuments
(the Church of St. John Křtitel, castle fortification ruins).
Overnight in Dvůr Králové.
Day 2:
Dvůr Králové – Hradec Králové (40 km / 25 miles)
Today's ride passes Kuks Chateau, which is well known for the statues by Matyáš
Braun, the most famous depicting the 12 human virtues and 12 vices. The sculpture park,
Braun's Betlehem, is one of the most important assets of Central European sculpture. It is a
national cultural monument, which unfortunately belongs to the top 100 endangered
monuments in the world, as designated by the World Monument Fund. A walk through this
forested sculpture park is highly recommended. The last few miles take you to Hradec
Králové, which was the seat of the Czech queens in the Middle Ages. At the beginning of
the 20th century, Hradec Králové was changed by the best Czech architects into a
showcase of modern architecture. A building of European importance is the newly
reconstructed museum of the architect Jan Kotěra.
Overnight in Hradec Králové.
Day 3:
Hradec Králové – Kolín (68 km / 43 miles)
This stage of nearly 70 km is the most demanding part of the entire route going around
Kunětická Hora with its Gothic castle ruins and through the other large town on the route,
Pardubice. Pardubice is very cycle friendly with over 30 km of trails constructed for
cyclists. While in Pardubice you must try its traditional gingerbread. The Great Pardubice
Steeplechase is the most difficult horse race on the continent. The route finishes in Kolín, a
town known for its annual brass music festival.
Overnight in Kolín.
Day 4:
Kolín – Stará Boleslav (65 km / 40 miles)
From Kolín you cycle to the town of Poděbrady, whose spas are specialised in the treatment of heart disease. Dominating the town is the chateau with its monument to king Jiří of Poděbrady. The next town en-route is Nymburk. The famous Czech author Bohumil Hrabal lived in the town brewery as a child, his father was the brewer, and his book Postřižiny
recounts brewery life. Today the route finishes in Stará Boleslav. Transfer by car to
Prague.
Overnight in Prague.
Day 5:
Praha – Mělník (54 km / 34 miles)
Prague is situated on the turn of the Labe trails, but today's stage of our route to the
Labe goes along the river Vltava. At the confluence of the Labe and Vltava lies the town
of Mělník whose Renaissance chateau contains a picture gallery of Czech lowland painters
and representatives of the Czech Baroque period - Petr Brandl and Karel Škréta. A superb
view of the České Středohoří range and the Říp Mountain from the chateau balcony. Mělník lies
in the middle of a small wine-growing region in Bohemia and a trip to a wine cellar to
sample the excellent wine is recommended amongst other sightseeing.
Overnight in Mělník.
Day 6:
Mělník – Litoměřice (45 km / 28 miles)
Today's stage takes you from Mělník through Roudnice nad Labem and Liběchov with its
incredible palace. This is where Franz Kafka met
his wife in 1918. The next stop on the route is the fortress town of Terezín, famous in a
terrible way for being a transit camp and ghetto for Jews and other Nazi prisoners en route to extermination camps in the 2nd World War. The lesser fortress is maintained as a
monument to their memory. From here it is a short ride to Litoměřice, which contains
superb architecture and is the main town of the region.
Overnight in Litoměřice.
Day 7:
Litoměřice – Děčín (52 km / 33 miles)
During today's ride you will cycle past the ruins of Střekov Castle high above the river and on to
the town of Ústí nad Labem. Today's route finishes in Děčín at the frontier with the
sandstone rock formations of the Bohemian Switzerland area.
Overnight in Děčín.
Day 8:
Děčín – Hřensko (14 km / 8 miles)
Bohemian Switzerland, a small island of sandstone rocks in the middle of Europe, was made
into a National Park on the 1st of January 2000. Take a short walking trip to see the
stunning Pravčická Brána, the largest natural rock arch in Europe and a protected
monument. The beauty of the sandstone relief of Czech Switzerland makes it a symbol of
the whole region.
Overnight in Hřensko.
Day 9:
Departure
|
