Pilsen Backroads and Castles
A 218 km loop
Open this ride in the planner →
Why this ride
A rider’s loop: clean exit, memorable middle, calm return. 218 km round from Prague - plan on about 3 h 58 of riding. The plan has 1 food stop marked.
Roadbook
- Prague
start
Prague does not need introduction, but it does need a plan if you are leaving it by motorcycle. The city lies on the Vltava river in the heart of Bohemia, with a skyline of spires and towers climbing the hill to the castle, and a medieval centre that survived the twentieth century better than most. The Charles Bridge, begun in 1357 under Emperor Charles IV, is lined with baroque statues and almost always full of people. The Old Town Square has its astronomical clock, dating back to the fifteenth century, and Vyšehrad, the rock above the river, holds an old church and a quiet cemetery where Dvořák and Smetana are buried.
Beer is the unofficial national religion, and Prague is its cathedral. Czechs drink more beer per head than any other nation, and the pubs serve it fresh, cold and cheap, with pork knuckle, dumplings and sauerkraut. The pilsner style was born in Plzeň, not far west, in 1842, and a glass of unfiltered lager in a cellar pub is the way to start. If you are riding, stick to the coffee and save the beer for the evening.
Leaving the city is the hard part. Traffic is heavy, trams run on cobbled streets, and the rails and wet stones can be treacherous for a motorcycle, so take care. Fuel is easy and cheap, and there are many large stations on the ring road. Motorcycles do not need the motorway vignette in the Czech Republic, though rules change, so check. Heading northeast toward Bohemian Paradise, the road crosses farmland and small towns, past Mladá Boleslav, where the Škoda car factory has been making vehicles since the 1890s.
Beyond, the landscape rises into sandstone rock towers and forested ridges, with castles perched on volcanic rocks, and the quiet roads are a fine contrast to the capital. Start early, avoid the morning rush, and enjoy the moment when the city falls behind and the fields open. Spring and early autumn are the best seasons, when the light is soft and the crowds thinner.
- Pilsen
food
In 1842, a Bavarian brewer named Josef Groll brewed a new kind of beer in the town brewery of Plzeň: a clear, golden lager, crisp and hoppy, made with the soft local water, Saaz hops and pale malt. It was an instant success, and the style, named after the town, became the most imitated beer in the world. The original is still brewed here as Pilsner Urquell, and a tour of the brewery, with its historic cellars and a glass of unfiltered beer straight from the oak barrel, is the obvious thing to do. Save it for the end of the day, though; the Czech blood alcohol limit for riders is zero.
Pilsen is the fourth-largest city in the Czech Republic, an industrial centre with a handsome historic core. The main square is dominated by the Gothic cathedral of St. Bartholomew, whose tower is the tallest church tower in the country, and you can climb it for views over the city. The Great Synagogue, built in the late nineteenth century, is one of the largest synagogues in the world. The city was also the birthplace of the Škoda Works, the engineering firm founded by Emil Škoda, which made everything from locomotives to weapons.
In May 1945, Pilsen was liberated by the US Army, while the rest of the country was liberated by the Soviets, and the city celebrates the event every year with a festival of parades and military vehicles. Under communism, the American role was officially played down, and the festival has a special significance today.
For lunch, Pilsen has countless pubs and restaurants serving Czech food: svíčková, beef in a creamy vegetable sauce with dumplings, goulash, roast pork and fried cheese. Prices are low and portions generous. The roads around Pilsen are good for riding, winding through the hills, forests and villages of western Bohemia, with castles at every turn. The city itself has fuel and all services, though traffic can be heavy.
- Prague finish