Make cycling holidays in the Czech Republic and in Germany and discover both the beautiful landscapes and the impressive cities of Prague and Dresden. You'll follow the two rivers on this special 2-country-bike-tour, the Vltava and the Elbe. This is a marvelous bike tour. It begins in the Czech capital Prague, surely one of the most beautiful towns of Europe, and ends in the baroque and not less beautiful town of Dresden, called the „Florence„ on the Elbe. You'll discover the low mountain range as the romantic „Saxon Switzerland„ - but don't worry: the cycle trip follows the Elbe on flat roads and paths! Typical Bohemian and Saxon villages and dreamy little towns await you as well as old castles and amazing sugarloaf lumps of rock and even some vineyards in the area of Melnik. Waste your time and drink some wine!
Day 1: Arrival in Prague
Day 2: Prague > Melnik, ~58 or 70 km
On today's stage you will be riding along the rail track to the heart of the Czech wine region around the town of Melnik. Just before leaving Prague, you pass the Troja Baroque Castle and continue to the North following the bank of the Vltava River which cut very interesting rock formations and deep valleys into the ground. Visits of castles in Nelahozeves or Veltrusy are other highlights on today’s tour which will end in an old wine town above the confluence of the Vltava and the Elbe River - in Melnik.
Day 3: Melnik > Litomerice, ~50 km
Today's stage leads you through a calm region along the Elbe and is very easy to do and which is also This one of the most fertile regions of the Czech Republic. The most impressive stop on today's stage is the massive Terezin Fortress, built in the 18th century, which illustrates the military architecture of that time. The dark side of its history is the time of the World War II when the Nazis used it as a concentration camp for the Jewish. You will conclude the day in an old town which is also a spiritual center of this region - Litomerice.
Day 4: Litomerice > Decin, ~52 km
Even though this Czech low mountain range region is very hilly, you will follow the banks of the Elbe River most of the time and hills with several old-time ruins will surround you. This former volcanic region has always been an ideal terrain to build castles and fortresses.
Day 5: Decin > 'Saxon Switzerland' > Bad Schandau, ~25 km
This day will be almost completely optional but however special! In the morning you can decide, whether you prefer biking or sailing to Hrensko. This border town in the heart of the Czech-Saxon Switzerland offers many attractive activities. It offers many hiking trails leading through the scenery of the rocky towns, the mesas, the passes, deep gorges and hillsides. A special bonus to admire is the wonder of the Pravcicka Gate, no doubt, the largest natural rock bridge in Europe. After crossing the border to Germany you'll arrive Bad Schandau.
Day 6: Bad Schandau > Dresden, ~48 km
This day is packed with historical sights! You will see the scary looking Fortress of Königstein and just past the curve a beautiful rock formation with a romantic rock bridge and the Bastei Ruin. A Couple of kilometers down the road, near the town of Pirna, you will enter the region of the Elbe Valley around the city of Dresden.
Day 7: Departure from Dresden or you lengthen your stay
There is probably no other town in Germany which better symbolizes the turbulent history of this country. It shows many centuries of cultural and architectural boom combined with religious freedom and economic prosperity. An 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. We can arrange tour guiding services for you or help you to extend your stay.
