Bike trip from Prague to Dresden
Come with us down the Vltava and Elbe Rivers to visit two important cultural centers in Europe. Prague, since ancient times melting-pot of Czech, German and Jewish ethnic groups and Dresden, seat of the Saxon dukes and Florence of the North. Both towns have a very long history and visiting them will fill you up with very strong cultural memories for a long time. The same way as the rivers flow, we will ride along them through a beautiful countryside full of picturesque towns such as Melnik, Litomerice or Bad Schandau. The tour will take us through natural beauties of bizarre Czech-Saxon Switzerland NP, as well as through romantic region of former volcanoes of the Czech Middle Mountains. The last kilometers will take us through cultural regions under the auspices of the UNESCO - the Dresden Valley of the Elbe River. Connecting two European centers, as well as the beauties of the Vltava and Elbe River basins, yields a very attractive, but not physically demanding tour manageable even by less fit bikers. As a bonus you can enjoy boat trip or half day hiking in the Czech Saxon Switzerland.
7 days / 6 nights - 5 biking days
Length 198 km / 123 miles
Grade of difficulty: easy
Day 1 - Arrival to Prague
Pick up at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Sightseeing tour of the city, in the evening a briefing including information about organization of the tour, the travel plan, adjustment of bikes, getting familiar with safety during transport. We strongly recommend extending your stay in the Czech Republic in order to be able to visit Prague and all its beauties. We can arrange accommodation and tour guiding services for you (for more see town tours).
Day 2 - Prague - Melnik
Distance: 48 km / 29,5 miles
Despite the first small ascent, today's stage follows a nice trail to the heart of the Czech wine region - the town of Melnik. It is a good warm-up for our further bike stages. Just before we leave Prague, we pass the Troja Baroque Castle and we continue to the North following the bank of the Vltava River. The river cuts into the ground here, which creates very interesting rock formations and deep valleys. Visits of castles in Nelahozeves or Veltrusy are the biggest highlights of this day. We will end this stage in an old wine town at the confluence of the Vltava and Elbe Rivers with a glass of a good wine.
Day 3 - Melnik - Litomerice
Distance: 44 km / 30 miles
Today's stage leads us through a calm Elbe region and is without significant altitude changes. This region is one of the most fertile regions in the Czech Republic. Due to the confluence of the Vltava and Elbe Rivers, the river gains on its mightiness and strength and slowly becomes a European major waterway. After passing the Libechov Castle, we will get to the town of Roudnice nad Labem and we will have a chance to admire an old church and a castle. The most impressive stop on today's stage is the massive Terezin Fortrees from the turn of the 18th century, which illustrates the military architecture of that time. The seamy side of its history is the World War II period. This era was filled with hatred and cruelty and dramaticaly spotted the history of Terezin. A place which the Nazis useded as a Jewish concentration camp. We will conclude the day in an old town and spiritual center of this region - in the town of Litomerice, which is an antipole to the horrific Terezin Fortress.
Day 4 - Litomerice - Decin
Distance: 44 km / 27 miles
This day is designed for exploration of the romantic countryside of the Czech Middle Mountains. Even though, this region is very hilly, we will follow the banks of the Elbe River most of the time and hills with several old-time ruins will surround us. This former volcanic region had always been an ideal terrain for building of castles and fortresses, many of which have unfortunately not been preserved till up to date. The Strekov Castle, which was built on top of a steep rock cliff, belongs among one of the most romantic castles in the Czech Republic. After a more strenuous climb, we will be rewarded by a magnificent view from its walls. The final point of this stage will be the Northern Gate of the Czech Republic and the town of Decin - town with the lowest altitude in the Czech Republic.
Day 5 - Decin - Czech Saxon Switzerland - Hrensko
Distance: 15 km / 10 miles na Distance: 50 km / 27 miles
This day will be almost fully optional but always special! In the morning you can decide, whether you prefer biking or sailing for our overnight stay in Hrensko. This border town is situated in the heart of the Czech-Saxon Switzerland NP and offers many attractive activities. It is very good especially for hiking lovers. It offers many touristic trails leading through the scenery of the rocky towns, the mesas, the passes, deep gorges and hillsides. Special bonus to admire is the wonder of the Pravcicka Gate, no doubt, the biggest natural rock bridge in Europe.
You can also try sailing on the boats through the passes of Kamenice river, continue your bike trip on one of many marked bike trails through this wonderful country, or combine a boat trip with ride through a romantic valley on a historical tram in Bad Schandau! Although it´s the lowest place in the Czech republic, you will feel like being in the mountains all the time!
Day 6 - Hrensko - Dresden
Distance:50 km / 27 miles
This day is packed with historical sights! After crossing the boarder and passing Bad Schandau, we will see a scarry looking Königstein Fortress and just past the curve a beautiful rock formation with a romantic rock bridge and Bastei Ruin. Optional is a sightseeing tour of the town with magnificent views and expositions. We recommend it, it is definitely worth it. Moreover, the effort needed for getting up to these high altitudes will be awarded by unforgetable view of surrounding panorama! Couple of kilometers down the road, by the town of Pirna, we will enter the region of the Dresden Valley, which is under the auspices of the UNESCO. There are several beautiful castles and museums of music masters, such as Karl Maria Weber or Richard Wagner, which used to compose in this area. The final destination of today's stage, as well as of this tour, is the city of Dresden.
Day 7 - Dresden
A sightseeing tour of this magnificent city. In case you are interested, we can arrange tour guiding services for you or help you to extend your stay. There is probably no other town in Germany which better symbolizes the turbulent history of this country and shows many centuries of cultural and architectural boom combined with religious freedom and economic prosperity. A short admiration of Nazism was followed by a cruel punishment in the form of the biggest bombing during World War II, which turned almost the entire city into ruins overnight. After-the-war resurrection into forty years of communistic unimportance is followed by twenty years of renewal and reconstructions. Thanks to this renovation of the entire city, today we can admire the beauties of this place, which earned the nickname of "Florence upon Elbe".