The country is one of volcanic hills, sandstone rocks and mixed woods, the western edge of the Lusatian region. Cone-shaped basalt peaks rise from the farmland, and the lower slopes are patched with orchards and small fields. It is lovely and little visited, and you will often have the roads to yourself.
Česká Lípa, with nearly forty thousand people, has plenty of fuel and food, and a neat old centre with a Gothic Augustinian monastery and a handsome square. The town sits at the edge of the Kokořín and Lusatian landscapes, and it is a natural base for a few days of exploring. The nearby Máchovo lake, near Doksy, is a famous spot for swimming and boating, and the sandstone rocks and forests around it have a romantic, mysterious character.
For a rider, the roads here are enjoyable and varied. They wind through the foothills of the Central Uplands, climbing to small passes and descending to quiet villages, with views of volcanic cones and distant ridges. The surface can be patchy, and bends are often tight and blind, with farm traffic and cyclists. In summer the hills are green and the air is warm, and in autumn the beeches and oaks are a blaze of colour. Fog fills the valleys on cold mornings and burns off by midday.
The area was long home to a mixed Czech and German population, and the old half-timbered houses, known as Umgebinde, are a distinctive feature of the region. Many have been restored, and a few small museums tell the story of the weavers and glassmakers who once lived here. Fuel is easy to find in Česká Lípa, but the smaller villages have little, so fill up beforehand. A bowl of garlic soup and a dark beer in a village pub is a good way to end a day.