Why this ride
253 km from Žatec to Žatec, about 3 h 51 of riding. On the way it passes The Red Tower of Death, Františkovy Lázne and back through The Red Tower of Death. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Saaz Hop Landscape and Františkovy Lázne starting at Žatec
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 253 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 3 h 51
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Saaz Hop Landscape
Smell comes first here. Late in summer the air around Žatec turns green and faintly bitter, because this is the heart of the Saaz hop country and the harvest fills the lanes with the scent of cones being picked and dried. The hops grown on these slopes and flats along the Ohře river are the ones that give Czech lager, and Pilsner above all, its clean, spicy bite. The cultural landscape of the town and its fields earned UNESCO status in 2023, and the old hop-drying houses and brewery buildings in Žatec are the reason.
Read the complete Saaz Hop Landscape write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Saaz Hop Landscape is where the day begins. Next is The Red Tower of Death.
2. The Red Tower of Death
The name sounds like a horror film, and the reality was grim enough. In the 1950s, the communist government of Czechoslovakia sent tens of thousands of political prisoners to labour camps in the Jáchymov region to mine uranium for the Soviet nuclear programme. In a red brick building near Ostrov, known as the Red Tower of Death, prisoners crushed and sorted uranium ore by hand, without protection, exposed to dust and radiation. Many died or suffered lasting illness. The building is now a memorial, part of the Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region World Heritage listing, and a powerful reminder of the human cost of the Cold War.
Read the complete The Red Tower of Death write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The Red Tower of Death comes up about 60 km into the recorded legs. Next is Františkovy Lázne.
3. Františkovy Lázne
Františkovy Lázně, known in German as Franzensbad, is a small spa town in the far west of the Czech Republic that looks as if it has been painted in a single colour: yellow and white Empire-style buildings, colonnades and pavilions set in spacious parks, all laid out in the early nineteenth century around mineral springs. It was named after Emperor Francis I of Austria, and it became a fashionable resort, especially for women, because its waters and mud baths were believed to help with fertility. The bronze statue of a little boy holding a fish, known as František, is said to bring luck to women who touch it, and you will see that his foot has been polished by countless hands. Since 2021, the town has been part of the Great Spa Towns of Europe World Heritage site, along with its larger neighbours, Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně.
Read the complete Františkovy Lázne write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 121 km into the recorded legs you reach Františkovy Lázne. Next is back through The Red Tower of Death.
4. back through The Red Tower of Death
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete The Red Tower of Death write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through The Red Tower of Death, late in the day. Next is Saaz Hop Landscape.
5. Saaz Hop Landscape
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Saaz Hop Landscape write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Saaz Hop Landscape. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Saaz Hop Landscape to The Red Tower of Death
Saaz Hop Landscape → The Red Tower of Death is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
The Red Tower of Death to Františkovy Lázne
The Red Tower of Death → Františkovy Lázne is 61 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Františkovy Lázne to back through The Red Tower of Death
Františkovy Lázne → back through The Red Tower of Death is 62 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through The Red Tower of Death to Saaz Hop Landscape
back through The Red Tower of Death → Saaz Hop Landscape is 69 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.