The Moldava River Bicycle Trail is about 400 km long crossing through the Czech Republic, always staying on the shores of its most important waterway. The route is almost completely on downhill or flat with the exception of some steep climb but very short. The itinerary is actually the sum of many small local itineraries, so it uses not asphalted country roads and real bike paths, for some stretches even on dirt roads.
THE PATH
The official start of the route is in a fairly isolated area of the Bohemian Forest on the border with Germany.
The best thing is to reach Lake Lipno, about 10 km from the river’s source, and start pedaling from there. Its shores are much appreciated ad a holiday resort but there are significant centers of interest. Once past the lake they start to encounter small villages surrounded by vast fields and shady woods.
Approximately 87 km from the start you can reach the World Heritage Site of Český Krumlov.
It’s an ancient 13th century hamlet built around the castle still present. Interesting is also the abbey of Zlatá Koruna, a few kilometers further.
Proceeding along the Vltava River, the first big city we meet is České Budějovice, the site of the famous Budweis beer since the 13th century. Tourist attraction is also the particular castle of Hluboká in Windsor style and with so much English garden. It’s about 10 km from the city.
The Moldava River Cycle Route continues through the open countryside, beyond Kluky and Pisek, to Orlik Lake, which marks the middle of the route.
Walking on gentle rise and fall for another 100 km, sometimes along the river and sometimes moving away from it, finally reaches Prague. The city is definitely suitable for cycling. The itinerary could end there, but it actually comes to the end of the river, when a few tens of kilometers later it’s thrown into the Elbe River.