Bicycle Tours in Czech Republic: Cycling Vienna to Prague through Moravia and Bohemia Tour Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrive Valtice-Lednice, southern Moravia, the Czech Republic

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Highlights: Fit bicycles, test ride to Valtice, a UNESCO world heritage site; visit a 17th century baroque castle
Arrive in Valtice-Lednice, just across the Czech border from Austria. We'll fit bicycles this afternoon and go out for a short test ride before introductions and then dinner together. You'll be impressed by the "bike culture" they've created in this area - cyclists come from all over Central Europe to pedal the vineyards of Valtice and Lednice. We'll have a nice welcome dinner together. Daily Mileage: 20 km (or more at your option); 12 miles.

Day 2: Pedal the vine-clad hills of Moravia

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Highlights: UNESCO world heritage sites of Valtice and Lednice, the castle and gardens of Lednice
We take a loop ride today into the wine growing region to the north and east of Valtice and Lednice. Enjoy the long loop or cut your ride short and take time to visit the elegant castle and English-style landscape gardens and large greenhouse of the Dukes of Liechtenstein in Lednice. Daily Mileage: 55 - 80 km (34 - 50 miles).

Day 3: Ride from Valtice to Mikulov and Znojmo

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Highlights: Mikulov castle, rolling hills and vineyards, Znojmo
We pedal to Znojmo today, through the gently rolling hills of Moravia. We'll leave early to allow time for a visit of the castle and town of Mikulov, one of the most important frontier towns in southern Moravia. The castle has helped guard the border with Austria since the 13th century. Our hotel tonight is in the center of Znojmo (say "znoy'mo" as in "boy'mo"), where we'll have a wine tasting before dinner together. Daily Mileage: 85 km (53 miles).

Day 4: Visit Znojmo, pedal to Vranov nad Dyji

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Highlights: Guided walk in Medieval Znojmo, 17th Century castle of Vranov
We'll start our morning with a guided walk of town to the historic church of Saint Nicholas, a Greek Orthodox church on the ramparts perched above the gorge of the Dyji River. Leaving Znojmo we pedal on to Vranov on the Dyji River. We suggest visiting the Castle in Vranov before checking into our hotel as the castle closes at 5 p.m. The present castle dates to the 17th century but is located on a site that has housed castles since 1200. We'll suggest an optional, short ride today to visit a part of the iron curtain that has been preserved for posterity. Daily Mileage: 32-38 km (20 - 24 miles).

Day 5: Bicycle Vranov nad Dyji to Telč

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Highlights: Renaissance Slavonice, town of Telč
Our ride today takes us out of the lowland vineyards of southern Moravia and away from the Austrian borderlands. We cross the wheat fields and forests of the Bohemian-Moravian highlands, an ancient plateau incised by rivers creating excellent sites for fortified towns and villages. Telč (say "telch") is one of the best preserved of these fortress towns. Heavily influenced by architectural styles from Italy, the late 16th century town square is a wonder of town planning with multi-colored building facades. We spend two nights in Telč. Dinner together. Daily Mileage: 77 km (48 miles).

Day 6: Loop ride from Telč or rest day

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Highlights: Renaissance Telč and Medieval Trest
There are plenty of things to see and do in Telč today but we've planned on a loop ride to the north through beautiful areas of forest for those who need a little exercise. The highlands get higher here. Otherwise, you can enjoy lounging in the sidewalk cafes on the square of this perfect gem of 16th century town planning. Dinner is on your own. Daily Mileage: 40 km (25 miles; actually, you can make this ride as long as you'd like!)

Day 7: Cycle onto the greenways near Austria

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Highlights: The greenways of Bohemia, rural Czech Republic, Jindřichův Hradec
Our route today takes us through forest and field and past a myriad of small towns and villages, each with its own "carp pond." The raising of carp in artificial ponds dates to medieval "fast days" when the monks needed fish on Fridays. But in the 15th and 16th centuries these ponds flourished with every town constructing one for purposes of self-sufficiency. Today Bohemia sports something over seven thousand of these ponds and supports a significant recreational and commercial freshwater fishery. We'll be in Jindřichův Hradec tonight, a delightful market center dating to the 12th century. Jindřichův Hradec sits on the banks of a large lake which is dominated by the town's two well-preserved castles. Daily Mileage: 41 km (26 miles)

Day 8: Cycle Bohemian greenways near the Austrian border and Trebon

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Highlights: Central Europe's most extensive bike path system, Renaissance Trebon
Our ride this morning is car-free AND care free, at least initially. We pedal a part of the forest lands that for two generations during the Cold War were completely off-limits to the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe. These forest paths are now part of a vast green belt in-the-making. Visionary planners in the region are creating a memorial to the Iron Curtain by developing the world's largest outdoor park that will eventually stretch from the Baltic to the Black Sea, following the historic no-man's land that separated eastern and western Europe from 1945 until the fall of the wall in 1989. We complete our ride by pedaling past man-made lakes in one of Central Europe's biggest wetland areas with some of the largest fish farms in Europe. We will enjoy a special fish dinner together in Trebon tonight. Daily Mileage: 59 km (37 miles).

Day 9: Ride to Hluboka Castle and into Česky Budejovice along a bike path on the Vltava River

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Highlights: The 19th century Hluboka Castle and Česky Budejovice, home to the original Budweiser beer
Today we leave the man-made lake district of Trebon and pedal northwest to Hluboka, the 19th Century "Windsor Castle" look-alike. Those who wish can double the length of their ride north along the Vltava River and back. Our route this afternoon takes us on a modern bike path right into the heart of Česky Budejovice. With a wide variety of late Renaissance and Baroque buildings on the central square - one of the largest in Central Europe - Česky Budejovice presents itself as a rich and proud regional center commanding as much respect in the 21st century as it did in the 17th. Daily Mileage: 42 - 74 km (26 - 46 miles).

Day 10: Bicycle from Česke Budejovice to Česky Krumlov

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Highlights: The historic and perfectly preserved 16th century town of Česky Krumlov
We complete our tour of southern Moravia and Bohemia by following the Vltava River south from Česke Budejovice to one of the most enchanting of Central European towns, Česky Krumlov. You'll find you've pedaled into the archetypal, quaint Central European village. Located on a meander of the river, Krumlov is almost completely surrounded by water. Towering above the village is a massive castle complex with a spectacular round tower. We'll celebrate our grand tour of the historic Czech Republic with a dinner together near the picture-perfect square and castle of Česky Krumlov. Daily Mileage: 50 km (32 miles).

Day 11: We'll offer a shuttle today from Česky Krumlov to Prague

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Highlights: Waking up in one of Central Europe's most delightful towns, Česky Krumlov
If you have the time you may want to stay an extra night just to wander the corners of this Medieval and Renaissance town. (You could travel Europe for two decades without finding another like it.) Otherwise, breathe in the last of the village this morning before taking our shuttle to Prague.