From capital to capital
A short look at the map of Bohemia, Moravia and Austria reveals the characteristics of the landscape: A versatile, hilly area, in which idyllic rivers flow. There are plenty of towns reflecting the interesting Middle European history: Inner cities containing gothic and Baroque style buildings, old fortresses, and in the smaller villages the traditional karp ponds will accompany you on your route.
Prague and Vienna are the highlights of this trip. For centuries Prague was the center of power for the Czech aristocracy. Vienna housed the powerful Habsburg family, and reflects the turbulent past of the country in stone. Both cities are overwhelming when it comes to architecture, and art. Almost every period from the last 800 years is represented.
You will mostly cycle over quiet roads, with the occasional tractor or car. You will cycle a lot on designated bicycle paths too. The route is mostly flat, or slightly hilly. You will cover around 40-60 km (25-37 miles) each day.
The trip can also be made without luggage transport: Discount € 200,- per booking!
Day-by-day scheduleRead more → Prague – Benesov – Tabor – Jindrichuv Hradec – Telc – Vranov – Hollabrunn – Vienna
You will arrive at your first hotel in Prague. Here we will hand over the items you will need during your trip such as: Hotel vouchers, city maps, the route description, gps-waypoints, your bikes and repair kits.
Prague is loved by tourists from all over the world. There are many things you must see when you are here. The Charles bridge, with its many statues and artists. The Mala Strana is the quarter where many artists have their galleries and where the consulates are located. The Hradcin is the old fortress where the parliament is still seated today, it also contains a magnificent cathedral and beautiful botanical gardens. The old Jewish graveyard is worth visiting too, with its many graves which have been untouched for centuries.
The cycling starts today. You will cycle away from hectic Prague trough many sleepy villages, where it look like that the time stands still. You will enjoy many panoramas on your way to Benesov. You can pay a visit to Konopiste castle. Where Ferdinand, the crown prince of the Habsburg Empire, lived before he was assassinated in Sarajevo, which initiated the Great War (First World War). The castle contains over 300 000 hunting trophies!
You will cycle trough the patchwork countryside from Benesov to Tabor. Tabor has a beautiful old inner city with many small alleys and many houses painted in different pastel colours. Tabor was founded in 1420 by the reformist Jan Hus.
You will reach Jindrichuv Hradec via many small roads. You will cycle trough valleys and along fields towards the Cervena Lhota castle. It is a fairytale like castle where a lot of movies where filmed. You will cycle trough forests and trough the Nezarka basin towards Jindrichuv Hradec. Jindrichuv Hradec (Neuhaus) is an old town build around a fortress, Czechs founded the city in the 10th century. It is located on the bank of a lake, which gives the town a romantic atmosphere.
You will pass along many small villages on your route today, such as Velka Lhota and Strmilov. Most villages have one restaurant in which you can still get authentic Bohemian or Moravian food. You will cycle trough an ever changing landscape until you reach Telc at the end of the day. You have plenty of time to explore this picturesque town, located in the hilly Bohemian-Moravian border landscape. There are a lot of gothic, renaissance and baroque styled houses in the old city which are worth taking pictures of. The main arched market square is listed as Unesco world heritage due to its varying architecture and historical value.
Today you will leave the Bohemian highlands and head for Austria. You will cycle over a forested hilly ridge before you reach the flatlands, if you’re lucky you will come across some roe-deer. You will come across an old mausoleum before the cozy town of Jemnice. Then you will head into the Dyji canyon with its many fortresses guarding the entrance to the Moravian lands. You know that you have arrived in Vranov when you see its magnificent chateau rise above the treeline.
You will cycle trough a beautiful piece of hilly landscape from Vranov to Hollabrunn. You will cycle past a great recreation area and a big reservoir. In the gorge below flows the Thaya river, which once formed the border between Austria and Moravia. You can clearly see this by all the castles on its banks. You will leave the Czech Republic and cycle along vineyards over small rural roads to the south. Hollabrunn was first mentioned in 1135, when count Diepold III donated three vineyards and some pastures to the local monastary. Our hotel offers not on all weekdays halfboard, You will find some restaurant recommendations in the route description.
You will cycle to Stockerau first, which has a rich cultural history due to its location near the Danube. You will cycle on small roads through farmland, with the occasional hills.
Between Stockerau and the Danube is a large forest. Subsequently you will cross the famous river. Then you will follow the Danube bicycle path, which is very popular in the summer. You will have no trouble cycling trough this flat landscape and over the hills of Klosterneuburg to Vienna. You will cycle into Vienna along the Danube canal. If you are too tired for this last part of the journey, it is possible to take the train from Tulln to Vienna.
Our hotel offers no halfboard, You will find some restaurant recommendations in the route description.
Vienna is the capital of Austria. It has been the Austrian centre of power for centuries. First Austria was ruled for a long period by the Habsburgs, and nowadays by a democratically chosen parliament. It all started with a Roman camp being build where the old city centre is now. You can still recognize the roman street patterns today. Vienna has a lot to offer, ranging from opera’s to disco's, dozens of museums, many parks, various styles of architecture and a lot of cultural attractions.
After your breakfast your journey ends. You will get back to Prague by train. The Austrian ÖBB (state railway) has a lot of special offers. You can take your bike and luggage with you in the train, if you have rented a bike you can leave it at the hotel. For your convience it´s also possible to book a special transfer back to your starting point (hotel, airport etc.).
It is not a problem for us to extend your stay in Vienna or Prague. In fact we recommend it, because both cities have too much to offer to see in only one day!
Level: 3 of 5
Total length of the tour: 389 km / 243 miles
Price | per person |
---|---|
8 nights in three or four star hotels / pensions | € 1095 |
Double room, incl. breakfast | Included |
Luggage transport | Included |
Detailed maps and gps files (gpx / kml) | Included |
24-Hour SOS service | Included |
Route description | Included |
Trekking bike (21-27 gears) | € 110 |
E-bike (8 gears) | € 220 |
Single room | € 1460 |
Surcharge solo traveller | € 280 |
triple room / family room (4 beds) | € 1080 / 1070 |
Extra night first hotel (single, double, triple, quad) | € 110 / 120 / 170 / 220 |
Extra night last hotel (single, double, triple, quad) | € 115 / 140 / 190 / 230 |
Special transfer back to first hotel (max. 4 Pers. / max. 8 Pers.) | € 660 / 660 |
GPS device | € 25 |
Rented bikes are fully equipped: bags, lights, locks, map holder, incl. service