Cycling To the Czech Republic: Scenic Routes, Local Culture, and Prague

Day 1: Bad Schandau to Litoměřice, Czech Republic, 47.8 miles

Today we leave Germany and enter the Czech Republic (aka Czechia) on our way to Prague. Although we tried to learn a few words before we came, like “please” and “thank you”, the bottom line is we are relying on the people we encounter to speak English. So far so good. We have been able to order a meal and a couple of beers, to pay and add on a tip. That pretty much is the extent of what we expect to be able to do. Total miles to date 274.6.

road sign — Guess what this sign means….. Hint, you’re probably wrong. It takes us awhile to figure this out but it means that the pedestrian and bike path ends, not that pedestrians and bikes are not allowed.

picture of castle — Just a glimpse of some of the amazing scenery from the route near Decin.

plate of dumplings — Traditional Czech food includes lots of meat, gravy and a variety of dumplings. This meal in Litoměřice is delicious.

Day 2: Litoměřice to Melnik, 31.7 miles

The Elbe River trail just continues to be fantastic. Our ride is full of beautiful views of the Czech countryside. Another nice thing is that the route has been clearly signposted the whole way. We’re looking forward to our ride tomorrow to Prague and a couple of days of sightseeing. Total MTD 306.3.

A gorgeous flat stretch along the Czech Elbe (actually called the Labe here).

Since entering the Czech Republic we pass lots of river side beer stalls (Pivovar). Today we finally stop at one.

Melnik to Prague, 37.6 miles

Although we’ve watched a lot of videos about what to expect in Prague, we’re a little embarrassed about how little we knew about Prague and the Czech Republic before we got here. Other than Vaklav Havel and the end of communism, we are basically clueless about how central Prague has been to world history. It was a city when Paris was only a village and its history is complex and amazing. We have a great walking history tour as well as a beer tasting. So both our intellect and our senses are stimulated!

We do a beer spa and massage tonight (yes, a very touristy thing) and it is awesome. And we get to pull our own Czech beer from the tap. We should mention that the Czechs drink more beer per capita than any other country.

One of our days, we spend just wandering around seeing the sights as they come along. Prague is crowded but nothing quite like the hordes we faced in Barcelona a few months ago. We finish off our stay in Prague with dinner and a Czech folkloric show. Total MTD 343.9.

Wonderfully bike-friendly entrance into the city of Prague.

This Prague beer spa includes a massage and an hour-long soak in a tub filled with hot water, hops and malt. The best part is pouring our own beers.

There are some very talented musicians and dancers at the folklore dinner.

quiet lunch — With info from a YouTuber we watched extensively before we came to Prague, we are able to have lunch in a quiet place just steps away from the tourist hordes.

Robin has a serious beer discussion with some Brits and Canadians after our Czech beer tasting.

The Infant Jesus of Prague is a 16th-century statue that originally came from Spain. They change outfits on the statue depending on the church calendar.

This is the route from Bad Schandau to Prague on RideWithGPS with interactive map and elevations.

Krause Travels