Two rivers meet a short ride south of Prague, and this point sits right beside the meeting. The Vltava, the great river of Bohemia, swings through the villages of Vrané and Davle on its way north to the capital, and at Davle it takes in the Sázava, which has come all the way from the Highlands to the east. The label calls this a return to the Orlické Mountains, but the Orlické range is far away on the Polish border; here you are in the green gorge country just south of the city, in the middle of what Czechs think of as their riverside weekend.
The valley is steep, wooded and narrow, and the roads follow the water. Expect twisty, tree-lined tarmac with plenty of corners, short climbs and sudden views over the river, and also expect cyclists, walkers and weekend traffic on a sunny Saturday. Take it easy through Všenory and the small settlements, where houses crowd the road. The best time is a weekday morning, when the light catches the water and the road is almost empty.
The Vltava here is tamed by a chain of dams and locks, built in the twentieth century to control flooding and to make power, and the river is wider and calmer than it was. Boats move slowly up and down, and the shores are lined with small wooden cottages called chata, a Czech obsession; city people retreat to them at the weekend to fish, garden and drink beer. That tramping culture, born between the wars, is as much part of the landscape as the rocks.
Near Davle stands the old monastery of Sázava, a short ride upstream, founded in the eleventh century and a centre of Slavic liturgy in its early days. It is an interesting detour if you have time. Fuel is easiest in Prague's southern suburbs, since the villages here are small, though there are stations on the main road. Look out for riverside pubs where you can sit with a plate of fried cheese and watch the barges, and a weekend rush when parking disappears.