Tour
Total tour distance: 225 miles
Daily tour distance: 40 miles
Difficulty: 60 / 100
Description
Greenways is the name of the most beautiful bike trail, connecting Prague to Vienna. Enjoy it in a guided group tour or a self-guided individual tour.
Grade of difficulty: Moderate
This route combines traffic-fre roads, paved paths as well some short off-road sections. Terrain includes long flat sections and some rolling hills. There are no long steep hills on this route.
General Information
For the first part of the trail from Prague to Cesky Krumlov, you will travel by minibus or car. We leave Prague early in the morning in order to have sufficient time to explore the best-preserved medieval town in Europe, Cesky Krumlov. If you can not wait to get on the bike you can cycle 26 km long round trip up to Klet hill from Cesky Krumlov on the first day. During the following days, we will travel through the lands of the Trebon ponds, and through the woods on the border with Austria called Czech Canada. You will visit the Renaissance towns of Trebon and Telc and many others. The trail will take you through the vineyards of South Moravia, where you will lodge in the cultural centres of the region, Znojmo and Mikulov. The whole trip ends in Vienna. The programme for the tour consists of a ride from Prague to Vienna and ends with a night in Vienna. As the tour does not include accommodation in Prague before the tour, We recommend that you purchase two or three extra nights in Prague before the beginning of the tour. That way you will have enough time to overcome jetlag and explore Prague. Some extra nights in Vienna will give you enough time to relax after six demanding days of biking.
The tour from Prague to Vienna combines biking and minibus transfers so that you can visit all the famous historical sites along the way and have a pleasant ride through the beautiful landscapes of Southern Bohemia and Moravia.
Guided Group Tours use a support vehicle for parts of the route that may be too long for some riders. Depending on the weather, your physical condition, preferences and the overall fitness of the group you can decide to take advantage of the support vehicle at any time.
Standard Tour Programme
Day 1 Guided Group tours usually start on the scheduled day at 9 a.m. Self-Guided tours and non-schedule tours start at the clients’ request on any day from the beginning of April to the end of October.
Welcome briefing, transfer from Prague to Cesky Krumlov (185 km = 111 miles by minibus or car), checking in at the hotel, sightseeing in Cesky Krumlov, dinner at town, adaptation of bicycles to match to bikers' body dimensions, practical training in safe cycling (guided group tours only). If you prefer to cycle you can cycle up to Klet hill. It is 26 km long round ride up to Klet hill, 1079 m asl. Total elevation gain 692 m.
Day 2 Cesky Krumlov - Trebon - (61 km = 38 miles by bicycle - can be shortened for guided group tours).
Optional visit of the castle and garden in the morning. Route leads through the beautiful hilly landscape surrounding Cesky Krumlov. However, the closer you get to Trebon area, the flatter the landscape becomes. A scenic ride through a picturesque landscape ends in Trebon, also well-known as a major spa resort. In Trebon, you will check in to your hotel and you can visit the Schwarzenberg Tomb. In case you would like to relax in a spa, we can arrange a massage, whirlpool or other services at Trebon's wellness centre.We also recommend an evening walk around the Renaissance town.
Day 3 Trebon - Telc - (78 km = 48 miles by bicycle - can be shortened for Guided group tours)
Optional tour of Trebon Chateau in the morning. The trail winds along many ponds and man-made lakes, very typical of this region, to Perslak, the most northern point of Austria. You will follow the border with Austria on the Greenways trail passing through Nova Bystrice, where you will have lunch. From Nova Bystrice the trail will take you through the forests of the National Park called Czech Canada. The day ends in Telc, a Renaissance town registered on the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List. Houses on the main square in Telc, with facades decorated with typically renaissance sgraffiti, form the best-preserved Renaissance square in the Czech Republic. It is extremely interesting to compare the differences between the towns of Trebon, Cesky Krumlov and Telc.
Day 4 Telc - Vranov - (54 km = 35 miles by bicycle - can be shortened for Guided group tours)
Optional tour of Telc chateau in the morning. You will ride through several charming villages typical for this area of the country. We will enjoy easy cycling through the region of South Moravia. We will stay overnight in Vranov which is situated near a dam.
Day 5 Vranov - Znojmo - (38 km = 23 miles by bicycle)
You will cycle on the Greenways trail following the river Dyje and the southern Czech border with Austria. This very beautiful trail leads through the national park of Dyje. Znojmo is the gateway to the region of South Moravia, a region of wine production. Check-in to Znojmo hotel, followed by a walk round the historical centre of Znojmo in the evening.
Day 6 Znojmo - Mikulov - (70 km = 43 miles by bicycle)
This flatland region is a traditional vine-growing area and there are many wine cellars. Dinner is usually arranged in a restaurant and includes a wine tasting. Mikulov is a town with a rich history, a beautiful castle and an historical square. Check-in to Mikulov hotel in late afternoon, leisure time in the evening.
Day 7 Mikulov - Vienna - (50 km = 30 miles by bicycle and 50 km = 30 miles by car).
You cross the border at the Mikulov border checkpoint, we spend the rest of the day in Austria. The ride in Austria is, to begin, very similar to the Czech section. There are vineyards, fields and small villages along the trail. Experienced bikers can reach the Vienna hotel by bike. We recommend finishing the cycling part of the trail in Poysdorf (25 km) or in Mistelbach (48 km) and travelling by car or minibus to Vienna. For Self Guided Tours you should agree in advance with the AVE representative if you want to cycle all the way to Vienna or where you want to meet the driver taking you to Vienna, skipping the last cycling part of the tour. The official tour programme ends with a check-in to your Vienna hotel.
Important notice: For guided group tours the support vehicle with bikes and the tour leader leave Vienna on Day 7 in the early afternoon. All participants with flight tickets from Prague can travel by supporting vehicle to Prague for free. These bikers spend their last night in Prague. We will happily offer them other additional services in Prague, such as additional accommodation, a guided tour of Prague and other services.
Day 8 Vienna - The tour ends with a breakfast either in Vienna or in Prague.