Renting a bicycle in the Czech Republic

Quite a few people have contacted me asking for advice on where to hire bicycles in the Czech Republic.

I’ve never rented a bike here, so I can’t vouch for any particular bike rental company. However, the following firms have information in English on their websites:

Prague
Biko Adventures
Okolo
City Bike
Praha Bike

Mikulov
Topbicycle
(Topbicycle specialises in bicycle touring and claims to deliver rental bikes all over Central Europe)

Týnec nad Sázavou
Bisport

Brno
Okolo
Rent Bike Brno
("Rent a bike and explore Brno")

You can also hire bicycles from numerous railway stations in the Czech Republic. There’s more information in English on the Czech Railways website.

Many hotels, guesthouses and campsites also provide bike rentals for their guests.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. If you know of any other Czech bike rental companies, or have any experience with the ones listed above, feel free to leave a comment below.

The end (of the winter) is nigh

The Central European winter drags on for months, and to a cyclist on a mission to cycle around the Czech border it can seem never-ending. But now, on the last day of February, I can finally see the end in sight. The sun was out in Prague this weekend, and for the first time this year I could feel some heat from it. Soon, I hope, the daffodils - and the hemlines - will be rising.

Like the ice at the Czech Yacht Club, the winter is receding

As an Englishman I’m accustomed to long autumns and long springs. Here in the Czech Republic, though, the transitions are abrupt. The heat is switched off usually sometime in November and back on again in April. I call it binary weather.

The winter does have some advantages, I suppose. It has given me time to plan my route and to clean up and service my bikes for the season ahead. But it’s not easy being a bike blogger in these parts at this time of year. I simply don’t have much to write about, as I’m not doing much cycling.

It’s not the cold that’s the problem - I have the clothing to keep me warm(ish) on the bike even when the temperature is below freezing. It’s the slippery surfaces that thwart me. This winter has been particularly bad in that regard. The snow has been lying on the ground so long it has gradually metamorphosed into sheet ice. As my fellow Prague bike blogger Grant found to his cost last month, it’s not a good surface to cycle on. Now, I’m glad to say, it’s thawing fast.

One thing I do try to do in the winter is stay fit. I’ve learned the hard way that doing no exercise only leads to agony when I get back on the bike in the spring. My love-hate relationship with spinning continues. And, for the first time ever, I’ve been doing strength training, inspired by some helpful advice posted on the Loving the Bike blog. It’s all good exercise, but it’s no substitute - physically or psychologically - for cycling.

The next stage of my circumnavigation of the Czech Republic runs from Aš down to Nýrsko in the west of the country. It’s mostly fairly low-lying, so I’m hoping to be able to cycle it in April. That should give me plenty of time to complete the three remaining stages before next winter sets in.

I just hope the summer is not such a wash-out as it was last year.

Stage 5 route plan

Šumava - the largest continuous area of forest in Central Europe and the biggest national park in the Czech Republic - is the setting for Stage 5 of my trip. It’s a stage of two halves, this one: a brutally hilly first 100 km and a flatter latter section. Instead of following the relatively easy Šumava Cycle Trail (Šumavská magistrála), I’ve elected to use lesser known and - I hope - more interesting paths that pass through some of the remotest areas of the park. The climbing begins as soon as I leave the official start in Nýrsko and culminates the next day at the viewing tower on top of Poledník. At 1,315 metres above sea level, this will be the highest point of my entire journey around the Czech border. Later, I’ll be passing by the source of the Vltava, the river on which Prague stands. Things should get a lot easier on day 3, when I hit the 45-kilometer-long Schwarzenberg Canal, formerly used to transport timber out of the forest towards Vienna. As well as the Czech Republic, I’ll be riding through parts of Germany and (for the first time on my circuit ride) Austria. And if time allows I’ll take a detour in search of the most southerly point in the Czech Republic, before catching the train home from Horní Dvořiště.

Prague Airport by bicycle

(This article was updated on 22 January 2016)

If you’re planning to start and/or end a cycling tour in the Czech Republic, you may be wondering how to get from and to Prague Airport with your bicycle. It’s not easy on the face of it; bikes are banned from the vast majority of the city’s buses, and the metro and tram lines don’t even run to the airport. Yet there are few options available. Read on for a guide.

Prague Airport

Cycling in Prague - My Top Ten Tips

Prague isn’t known for being cycle friendly. Quite the opposite - it’s a hilly city with lots of tramlines and narrow, cobbled streets. Worse still, the drivers are notoriously aggressive. But things are getting better. The city authority has invested heavily in cycling infrastructure in the past few years, and biking is booming. Here are my top ten tips for cycling in Prague. Feel free to add your own in the comments section below.

Prague - gorgeous, yes, but cycle friendly?

Long-distance cycle routes in the Czech Republic

Here’s my guide to the principal named long-distance cycle routes in the Czech Republic (with links to more information in English where available).

Lucie Hniková’s Czech-language guide is a mine of useful information on this subject.

Almost all these trails are marked on the Cykloserver on-line cycle atlas. Zoom into the relevant location and the routes will appear as purple lines on the map. For more information on how to use the Cykloserver atlas, click here.

Click here for a guide to cycling maps of the Czech Republic and here for information on cycle route signposting.

International routes

Three major international cycle routes pass through the Czech Republic.

Prague-Vienna Greenways (Greenways Praha-Vídeň)
http://www.pragueviennagreenways.org/index.html
http://www.greenways.by/index.php?content&id=93&lang=en
Prague – Týnec n. Sázavou – Tábor – Jindřichův Hradec – Slavonice – Vranov n. Dyjí – Znojmo – Mikulov – Vídeň
Distance: 470 km (292 miles)
Cycle route numbers: 11, 32 and 48 in the Czech Republic
Probably the best-known long-distance route in this part of the world, connecting the Czech and Austrian capitals. The section along the Czech-Austrian border is particularly beautiful.
   
Krakow-Moravia-Vienna Greenways (Krakov-Morava-Vídeň Greenways)
http://www.greenways.by/index.php?content&id=91&lang=en
Krakow – Bukovec – Hukvaldy – Nový Jičín – Olomouc – Prostějov – Brno – Mikulov – Hevlín – Vídeň
Distance: 780 km (485 miles)
Cycle route numbers: various
Connects nature reserves, historical sites and local communities in Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria.

Iron Curtain Trail (ICG)
http://www.ironcurtaintrail.eu/en/
Distance: 6,800 km (4,200 miles)
Cycle route numbers: various
Runs from the Barents Sea down to the Black Sea along the entire length of the former Iron Curtain. The Czech section starts near Hranice in the north-western tip of the country then follows the border all the way to South Moravia.

Border routes

These routes run along the Czech frontier, so I’ll be making considerable use of them on my cycling circumnavigation of the country. Here they are in clockwise order, starting in the north.

Sandstone Landscape Trail (Krajem pískovcových skal)
Děčín – Česká Kamenice – Hrádek nad Nisou
Distance: 100 km (62 miles)
Cycle route numbers: 2, 21, 22
Passes through a region known for its rock formations, mostly notably those in Bohemian Switzerland National Park.

Jizera-Krkonoše Trail (Jizersko-krkonošská magistrála)
Hrádek nad Nisou – Trutnov – Náchod
Distance: 185 km (115 miles)
Route number: 22
A route through the Jizera Mountains and Krkonoše (Giant) Mountains (the highest range in the Czech Republic).

Jeseníky-Orlické Mountains Trail (Jesenicko-orlická magistrála)
Náchod – Králíky – Jeseník
Distance: 130 km (80 miles)
Cycle route numbers: 22, 52, 53
Another upland route, this time linking the Orlické (Eagle) and Jeseníky mountain ranges in the northeast of the country.

Silesian Trail (Slezská magistrála)
Jeseník– Opava – Bohumín
Distance: 100 km (62 miles)
Cycle route numbers: mostly on route 55
Explore the quiet charms of Silesia on the Czech-Polish frontier.

Cieszyn Silesia Euroregion Cycle Circuit (Cyklistický okruh Euroregionem Těšínské Slezsko)
Bohumín – Havířov – Jablunkov
Distance: 85 km (53 miles)
Cycle route number: 56
A loop through the Czech and Polish parts of this “Euroregion”.

Beskydy-Carpathian Mountain Trail/Czech-Slovakian Border Trail (Beskydsko-karpatská magistrála/Česko-slovenská příhraniční trasa)
Český Těšín – Vsetín – Hodonín – Břeclav
Distance: 276 km (172 miles)
Cycle route numbers: 46/47, 45, 43/44
A tough route along the Czech border with Slovakia.

Czech-Austrian Border Trail (Česko-rakouská příhraniční trasa)
Břeclav – Znojmo – Nová Bystřice – Nové Hrady – Horní Dvořiště
Distance: 270 km (171 miles)
Cycle route numbers: various
A charming route along the border with Austria.

Šumava Trail (Šumavská magistrála)
Horní Dvořiště – Železná Ruda – Domažlice
Distance: 240 km (149 miles)
Cycle route numbers: 34, 33, 36
A very popular cycling trail through Šumava National Park.

Upper Palatinate Forest Trail (Magistrála Český les)
Domažlice – Tachov – Cheb
Distance: 140 km (87 miles)
Cycle route number: 36
A less-frequented route in the far west of the Czech Republic, along the border with Germany.

Ore Mountains Trail (Krušnohorská magistrála)
Cheb – Děčín
Distance: 255 km (158 miles)
Cycle route numbers: 36, 23
Follows the border with Germany in the northwest of the Czech Republic.

Riverside routes

The Czech Republic boasts some great riverside bike-riding.

Elbe Trail (Labská trasa)
Špindlerův Mlýn – Hradec Králové – Pardubice – Kolín – Nymburk – Mělník – Litoměřice – Ústí nad Labem – Děčín
Distance: 294 km (183 miles)
Cycle route numbers: 24, 2
A U-shaped route running from ski resort Špindlerův Mlýn to Děčín. From there you can continue along the river into Germany.

Sázava Trail (Posázavská trasa)
Lísek – Žďár nad Sázavou – Havlíčkův Brod – Zruč nad Sázavou – Sázava – Týnec nad Vltavou – Davle
Distance: 243 km (151 miles)
Cycle route number: 19
Some steep climbs on this route, but they are rewarded with great views.

Amber Trail (Jantarová stezka)
Ostrava – Olomouc – Brno – Hevlín
Distance: 303 km (188 miles)
Cycle route numbers: 5, 4
Follows an old amber trading route running from the Baltic Sea to southern Europe.

Moravian Trail (Moravská stezka)
Jeseník – Olomouc – Břeclav
Distance: 293 km (182 miles)
Cycle route numbers: 51, 47, 45, 43
Passes north to south through the heart of Moravia along the River Morava.

Some other routes

Prague Trail (Pražská trasa)
Prague – Kutná Hora – Hlinsko – Brno
Distance: 250 km (155 miles)
Cycle route number: 1
Links the two biggest cities in the Czech Republic.

Bohemia-Moravia Trail (Českomoravská trasa)
(Mikulovice) – Jeseník – Hlinsko – Jihlava – Telč – Slavonice – Třeboň – České Budějovice
Distance: 365 km (227 miles)
Cycle route numbers: 53, 52, 18, 16, 32
Runs north to south, winding in and out of the ancient lands of Bohemia and Moravia.

Jeseník-Znojmo Trail (Trasa Jeseník-Znojmo)
Jeseník – Litovel – Nové Město na Moravě – Třebíč – Znojmo
Distance: 320 km (227 miles)
Cycle route numbers: various
A meandering north-south route passing through various interesting locations.

Hradec Králové-Břeclav Trail (Trasa Hradec Králové-Břeclav)
Hradec Králové – Litomyšl – Hodonín – Břeclav
Distance: 281 km (175 miles)
Cycle route numbers: various
A diverse trail that takes in Litomyšl, a UNESCO heritage site.

Jihlava-Český Těšín Trail (Trasa Jihlava-Český Těšín)
Jihlava – Třebíč – Brno – Zlín – Vsetín – Nový Jičín – Frýdek Místek – Český Těšín
Distance: 349 km (217 miles)
Cycle route numbers: various
A west-east route through Moravia.

Moravia Wine Trails (Moravské vinařské stezky)
http://www.greenways.by/index.php?content&id=111&lang=en
Almost 1250 km (780 miles) of popular cycling and hiking trails through the orchards, vineyards and wine cellars of South Moravia.

Prague spring: Ten more views from my bike

A cloud has descended on Prague - a volcanic ash cloud to be precise. But that hasn't stopped me from getting out on my bike, heading up the steepest hills and taking some more photos of the city. My last set - Prague spring: Ten views (from my bike) - was quite a hit by the modest standards of this blog. I hope this collection proves just as popular.

Greetings from Karlstejn...

... a well-known tacky tourist trap outside Prague overlooked by a lovely castle. This is an experiment - my first attempt at blogging from my mobile.

Prague spring: Ten views (from a bike)

The weather in Prague was so beautiful on Friday that I took the afternoon off work and went for a bike ride. This time I set myself a specific goal - to photograph ten of my favourite panoramas of the city and post them here on the blog.

Cycling trip tips

Spring has sprung at last and it occurred to me that I could share a few tips on organising a bicycle outing in the Czech Republic.

Cycle route signposting in the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic has a nationwide system for numbering and signposting its official cycle routes. These routes form an ever-expanding network covering the entire country. They run mostly along quiet roads and off-road trails, often in very picturesque locations. You don’t have to stick to the marked routes, of course, but they do make route-finding much easier in the field.

So how does the system work?

First ride of 2010

I went out on my bike for the first time this year today. Yet I so nearly wimped out of it.

In my last blog entry I pledged to go riding this weekend whatever the weather. At that time, though, my enthusiasm was based - if I must be honest - on a forecast promising sunshine and temperatures above zero.

Spinning out the winter

I’m suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Cycling withdrawal symptoms.

I haven’t been out on the bike since mid-December, mainly because of the heavy snowfall we’ve had in Prague recently. Before anyone calls me a wuss, I should like to point out that I am, in fact, quite a hardy soul and normally ride pretty regularly throughout the winter. But the last couple of months have been just too cold and slippery to tempt me out.

So, as in previous years, I’ve been doing a bit of spinning at the gym to try to keep in condition until the weather relents.

All along there's watchtowers

Hillwalking must have been a pretty unrewarding pastime in Central Europe before the 19th century. You'd struggle to the top, in woefully inappropriate non-Gore-Tex clothing, only to find your view completely blocked by dense forest cover.

But then someone (almost certainly a German) had a bright idea: If we can't see the world for the trees, then why not rise above the forest canopy?

And so, unlike in Britain, where the preferred option had long been to chop down all the trees and introduce sheep to stop them growing back, towers with 360-degree viewing platforms started springing up on hills and mountains across Central Europe.