Orlické Mountains Sweep

A 257 km loop

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Why this ride

Scenery first, traffic last, with checkpoints that make sense on a bike. A 257 km loop that starts and ends near Všenory, about 5 h 21 of riding. It goes by way of Rudná, Scenic stretch near Slaný and near Roudnice nad Labem. near Řevnice is the high point. Long stretches are under trees.

Roadbook

1. Fuel stop near Všenory fuel

   Fuel at 0 km.

2. High point near Řevnice pass

   You top out here; the road stops climbing.

3. Near Rudná finish

   The route ends here after 257 km.

4. Scenic stretch near Slaný scenic

   Scenic stretch near Slaný, about halfway.

5. Photo stop near Roudnice nad Labem photo

   Photo stop near Roudnice nad Labem sits at 147 km, about halfway.

6. Pečky, on the way back swim

   Prague / Bohemia return comes up 184 km in.

7. Food stop near Kouřim food

   Long before Prague dominated Bohemia, Kouřim was one of its centres of power. On a promontory above the Kouřimka stream lie the earthworks of Stará Kouřim, a vast early medieval Slavic hillfort that archaeologists consider one of the most important in the country. The later town, founded in the thirteenth century, still has stretches of its walls, a Gothic gate and the sturdy church of St Stephen, which together give this small place a strong sense of age.

   Kouřim also hosts an open-air museum of rural architecture, where timber farmhouses, barns and mills from across central Bohemia have been rebuilt, a pleasant stroll if you want a break from the saddle. The surrounding landscape is gently rolling farmland, with fields of wheat and rapeseed, orchards and small woods, and villages with baroque chapels and ponds.

   The roads are typical of central Bohemia: narrow, winding, and of variable quality. Some stretches are smooth new asphalt; others are patched and bumpy. Traffic is light, but tractors and local drivers can surprise you, and village speed limits are often enforced. To the east lies Kolín, a larger town on the Elbe with a Gothic cathedral, and Kutná Hora, the old silver-mining town with its famous bone chapel, is within easy reach for a detour.

   Kouřim is small, so for a wide choice of fuel head for Kolín or Český Brod, where stations and supermarkets are plentiful. Kouřim has a few pubs and cafés around its square, serving Czech staples like goulash, svíčková and of course beer. Stop, walk to the old walls, and enjoy one of the quieter historical towns of the region before continuing towards the mountains in the north.

8. Back to Orlické Mountains finish

   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.

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