Why this ride
322 km one way from Český Brod - plan on about 5 h 00 of riding. On the way it passes Žandov and near Bílina.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Šumava Forest Weekend · part 1
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 322 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 5 h 00
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
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. Fuel stop near Český Brod
Český Brod means Czech Ford, and the name tells you why the town exists: a crossing on the old trade road running east from Prague towards Kolín and the Elbe lowlands. Merchants, armies and pilgrims all came this way, and the town grew fat enough on the traffic to build walls. A stretch of fortification and a stout gate tower survive, and the long square, with its church and arcaded houses, is a calm place to sit for ten minutes at the end of a ride.
Read the complete Scenic stretch near Český Brod write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Šumava Forest Weekend is where the day begins. Next is Prague / Bohemia return.
2. Near Žandov, on the way back
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.
Read the complete Near Žandov, on the way back write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Prague / Bohemia return comes up about 98 km into the recorded legs. Next is Food stop near Bílina.
3. Food stop near Bílina
Bílina sits in the valley of the Bílina river in north-west Bohemia, between the industrial basin around Most and Teplice and the volcanic cones of the České středohoří, the Bohemian Central Uplands. Look up from almost anywhere in town and you will see the Bořeň, a massive dome of phonolite rock rising abruptly from the woods. Climbers love its crags, and walkers make the climb for the views across the basin and the uplands.
Read the complete Food stop near Bílina write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
A break here. Next is Photo stop near Zaječov.
4. Photo stop near Zaječov
For decades the Brdy hills south-west of Prague were off-limits: a large military training area closed to the public, with forests that grew wild and roads that only soldiers used. In 2016 much of it was opened and became a protected landscape area, and the hills around villages like Zaječov have quietly become one of the more interesting places to explore in central Bohemia.
Read the complete Photo stop near Zaječov write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Photo stop near Zaječov closes the day.
Leg by leg
Fuel stop near Český Brod to Near Žandov, on the way back
Fuel stop near Český Brod → Near Žandov, on the way back is 98 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Food stop near Bílina to Photo stop near Zaječov
Food stop near Bílina → Photo stop near Zaječov is 159 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.