Elbe River Bike Trail

6 days / 5 nights - 5 biking days
Guided group tour or Self-guided individual tour
Grade of difficulty: Easy

Come with us down the Vltava and Elbe Rivers to visit two important cultural centers in Europe. Prague, since ancient times melting-pot of Czech, German and Jewish ethnic groups and Dresden, seat of the Saxon dukes and Florence of the North. Both towns have a very long history and visiting them will fill you up with very strong cultural memories for a long time. The same way as the rivers flow, we will ride along them through a beautiful countryside full of picturesque towns such as Melnik, Litomerice or Bad Schandau. The tour will take us through natural beauties of bizarre Czech-Saxon Switzerland NP, as well as through romantic region of former volcanoes of the Czech Middle Mountains. The last kilometers will take us through cultural regions of the Dresden Valley of the Elbe River. Connecting two European centers, as well as the beauties of the Vltava and Elbe River basins, yields a very attractive, but not physically demanding tour manageable even by less fit bikers. As a bonus you can enjoy boat trip or half day hiking in the Czech Saxon Switzerland.

Cycling Itinerary:Prague - Dresden 198 km/123 miles

Day 1: Prague - Melnik 48 km/29,5 miles

Pick up at the airport or at hotel. We strongly recommend extending your stay in the Czech Republic in order to be able to visit Prague and all its beauties. We can arrange accommodation and tour guiding services for you (for more see town tours).
Despite the first small ascent, today's stage follows a nice trail to the heart of the Czech wine region - the town of Melnik. It is a good warm-up for our further bike stages. Just before we leave Prague, we pass the Troja Baroque Castle and we continue to the North following the bank of the Vltava River. The river cuts into the ground here, which creates very interesting rock formations and deep valleys. Visits of castles in Nelahozeves or Veltrusy are the biggest highlights of this day. We will end this stage in an old wine town at the confluence of the Vltava and Elbe Rivers with a glass of a good wine.

Day 2: Melnik - Litomerice (44 km/27 mi)
Today's stage leads us through a calm Elbe region and is without significant altitude changes. This region is one of the most fertile regions in the Czech Republic. Due to the confluence of the Vltava and Elbe Rivers, the river gains on its mightiness and strength and slowly becomes a European major waterway. After passing the Libechov Castle, we will get to the town of Roudnice nad Labem and we will have a chance to admire an old church and a castle. The most impressive stop on today's stage is the massive Terezin Fortrees from the turn of the 18th century, which illustrates the military architecture of that time. The seamy side of its history is the World War II period. This era was filled with hatred and cruelty and dramatically spotted the history of Terezin. A place which the Nazis used as a Jewish concentration camp. We will conclude the day in an old town and spiritual center of this region - in the town of Litomerice, which is an antipole to the horrific Terezin Fortress.

Day 3: Melnik – Decin (44 km/27 miles)
This day is designed for exploration of the romantic countryside of the Czech Middle Mountains. Even though, this region is very hilly, we will follow the banks of the Elbe River most of the time and hills with several old-time ruins will surround us. This former volcanic region had always been an ideal terrain for building of castles and fortresses, many of which have unfortunately not been preserved till up to date. The Strekov Castle, which was built on top of a steep rock cliff, belongs among one of the most romantic castles in the Czech Republic. After a more strenuous climb, we will be rewarded by a magnificent view from its walls. The final point of this stage will be the Northern Gate of the Czech Republic and the town of Decin - town with the lowest altitude in the Czech Republic.

Day 4: Decin - Czech Saxon Switzerland - Hrensko
(15 km/10 miles)
This day will be almost fully optional but always special! In the morning you can decide, whether you prefer biking or sailing for our overnight stay in Hrensko. This border town is situated in the heart of the Czech-Saxon Switzerland NP and offers many attractive activities. It is very good especially for hiking lovers. It offers many touristic trails leading through the scenery of the rocky towns, the mesas, the passes, deep gorges and hillsides. Special bonus to admire is the wonder of the Pravcicka Gate, no doubt, the biggest natural rock bridge in Europe.
You can also try sailing on the boats through the passes of Kamenice river, continue your bike trip on one of many marked bike trails through this wonderful country, or combine a boat trip with ride through a romantic valley on a historical tram in Bad Schandau! Although it´s the lowest place in the Czech republic, you will feel like being in the mountains all the time!

Day 5: Hrensko – Dresden (50 km/31 miles)
This day is packed with historical sights! After crossing the boarder and passing Bad Schandau, we will see a scary looking Königstein Fortress and just past the curve a beautiful rock formation with a romantic rock bridge and Bastei Ruin. Optional is a sightseeing tour of the town with magnificent views and expositions. We recommend it, it is definitely worth it. Moreover, the effort needed for getting up to these high altitudes will be awarded by unforgettable view of surrounding panorama! Couple of kilometers down the road, by the town of Pirna, we will enter the region of the Dresden Valley. There are several beautiful castles and museums of music masters, such as Karl Maria Weber or Richard Wagner, which used to compose in this area. The final destination of today's stage, as well as of this tour, is the city of Dresden.

For guided group tours the support vehicle with bikes and the tour leader leave Dressden on Day 5 in the afternoon.

Day 6: Dresden

 

 

Days / nights	6 days/5 nights
Price per person	Euro 470 per person  (based on double occupancy) Single supplement: 115 EUR Euro 70 Bike rental
Dates 2013	Every day from April to the end of October
Trip rating	easy
What´s included in the price for the self-guided bike tour	Pick up from any Prague hotel or from Prague Airport on the first day of the tour Accommodation in selected standard class hotels and pensions Buffet breakfast on all days Detailed town maps Detailed cycling maps (per room) Programme and English route book (per room) Bicycle repair kit (per room) Transportation of participants, their luggage and bicycles from Prague to the starting point of the bike route and from the end of the route to Prague (according to the programme of the tour) Transportation of luggage between hotels 24 hour hotline assistance service GPS set with recorded routes, batteries, battery charger (on request)
Not included	Personal travel and health insurance for participants in the tour Transportation (air tickets) to/from starting/final point of the tour Transfer from Prague airport to your Prague hotel on the day of arrival Transfer from hotel to the airport on departure day Meals (except for breakfasts) Entrance fees to museums, castles and chateaux Bike rental
Distance	198 Km/123 miles

Guided bicycling tour

Days / nights	6 days / 5 nights
PRICE per person	Euro 695 per person (based on double occupancy) Single supplement: Euro 115 Euro 70 Bike rental Minimum size of group: 4 people
Dates 2013	May 12th to May 17th June 09th to 14th July 21st to 26th August 18th to 23rd Sept 15th to 20th
Trip rating	easy
What´s included in the price for the guided bike tour	Specialized bicycle tour leader during all biking days  Pick-up from any Prague hotel or Prague Airport on the first day of the tour at an appointed time Accommodation in selected standard class hotels and pensions Buffet breakfast on all days Dinners with drinks except the last night Refreshments in the supporting vehicle (soft drinks, snacks, sweets, fruit) Water for bike-flasks Welcome briefing on the first day Maps of Prague and towns of accommodation on the tour (per room) Detailed cycling maps and town maps (on request) Programme and Route Book (per room) Practical bike ride safety training Technical service on the route First aid - health service on the route Support minibus All transportation of participants and their luggage and bicycles during the tour
Not included	Personal travel and health insurance for participants in the tour Transportation (air-tickets) to/from starting/final point of the tour Transfer from Prague airport to your Prague hotel on the day of arrival Transfer from hotel to the airport on the departure day Lunches and dinner on last night Entrance fees to museums, castles and chateaux Bike rental
Distance	198 km/123 miles