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Cycling Prague to Vienna on The Danube
offered by supplier M10030 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 7
day(s)
Group Size: 6
- 13
people
Destination(s):
Czech Republic
Austria
Specialty Categories:
Archeology/History
Season: April - October
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: No
Minimum Per Person Price: 2575 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 2995 US Dollar (USD)
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A classic bicycle tour providing 3-4 star lodging, this tour combines the best of Southern Bohemia with the delights of the Danube River. Then we go over the Austrian border to the Danube River and easy cycling. Grand views around each bend, 16th century, picture-postcard villages and dramatic hill-top castle ruins make this a favorite.
Fully guided tour includes:
- 2 trip guides.
- 3-4 star lodging, van support, luggage transfers, private group tours of most towns.
- All breakfasts, most dinners except 1, most lunches except 2, snacks, drinks, picnics.
Your Itinerary:
Day 1: Gather in Prague. Travel south where we set you on the bikes to begin the tour. It's a short, easy day to get you comfortable on the bikes and get into town with time to wander. The route today meanders through centuries-old villages, ponds and cool forests before arriving at the rebellious fortress town that started the Hussite movement. A private tour of the town will give you a chance to explore the ancient battlements and sgraffitoed buildings. For spelunking-types, take an optional tour of the underground tunnels that honeycomb the town and were used in time of siege, fire and most importantly, to store beer!
Dinner is at our favorite Tex/Czech/Mex restaurant. Beware the giant portions! Your lodging for the night is an "Adams Family" Gothic mansion. Terrain: easy-moderate. Distance: 52km/28miles.
(B), (L), (D)
Day 2: A short climb from the valley floor takes you into a landscape of open, rolling farmland villages and gentle riding on quiet roads. This is the Czech Republic at it's best. If it's spring the fields will be glowing bright yellow from the rapeseed crop. A picnic lunch will fortify you for the afternoon before you descend toward the river valley through a 5km track into a gorgeous blue-misted forest.
Soon the stunning Gothic castle of Hluboka looms into view; a good stop for a cappuccino and chocolate before an easy arrival at the exquisite central square of Ceske Budejovice, the second largest preserved town square in Europe. The merchant houses and town hall are breathtaking and best viewed as you languish over the real "Bud" at one of the outdoor cafes. A private tour of the old quarter will get your appetite up before a sumptuous meal at a restaurant specializing in authentic Czech dishes. Terrain: easy – moderate. Distance: 60km/37miles.
(B), (L), (D)
Day 3: After a leisurely cycle along bike-only paths, we leave town and reach higher pastures with stunning views of the Sumava hills. The road is quiet as you pedal silently through quaint villages before a thrilling descent through a pine forest drops you at the foot of Zlata Koruna, a 16th century fortified monastery. This is excellent fly fishing country so don't be surprised to see anglers about.
After a coffee stop you'll ride the ridge with great views to the east before negotiating a beech-forested jeep track and the final descent into Cesky Krumlov, the most exquisite medieval town in Southern Bohemia. The old village harks back to the 12th century and is surrounded by a hangman's noose of river. Buildings lean precariously out into the cobbled maze of street which beckons to be explored on foot. After a leisurely lunch, a private guided tour of the town is on offer. Terrain: moderate (1 mile of off-road). Distance 39km/23miles.
(B)
Day 4: Spend the day wandering on foot along narrow cobbled lanes in town. Cesky Krumlov is a village right out of a fabled story with 80% of its old quarter listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site.
We highly recommend taking a tour of the castle and candy-cane-colored bell tower. The castle, the second largest in the land dominates the town and the serpentine river virtually surrounds the town in a tight grip. There's gentle river rafting, walking or optional cycling to the perfectly preserved Baroque peasant village of Holasovice. You're spoilt for choice for dinner as Cesky Krumlov empties of the day-trippers and goes back to its sleepy former self. Dinner is at one of our favorite restaurants.
(B), (D)
Day 5: Leaving Bohemia behind we transfer into Austria where you'll begin cycling along the fabled Danube River path, the most famous cycle route in Europe, awash in castle ruins and 16th century villages. Ride through the “eye of the needle”, enjoy the ever changing scenery of tiny hamlets along the shores or just pull over for a famous wheat beer or strudel in a shady sidewalk café.
Your home for the night is a typical Austrian family-run guesthouse, nestled above the valley in a village near the ancestral home of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination was the flashpoint that started World War I. His home is now a museum and is worth seeing. Terrain: easy with last 4km hilly. Distance: 61km/36miles.
(B), (L), (D)
Day 6: You'll cycle to the most celebrated church in all Austria with great views of the valley below before a thrilling descent leads you to the valley floor again. The day is relaxed cycling on the bike-only path as we get closer to the heart of the Wachau, the Danube’s most idyllic and historic wine producing region. The golden twin spires of the superb Benedictine Monastery of Melk beckons for a closer look as we cycle under the knife edge cliff. After lunch, the route takes you through 1000 year old vineyards terraced onto the hillsides where the cafes beckon for a frequent stop or wine tasting.
Come in September, when the locals are harvesting the grapes and wine festivals are in abundance. There's plenty of wine on offer so take it slow before you arrive at the stunning riverside town of Durnstein, where Richard the Lion Heart was imprisoned. Terrain: easy and flat. Distance: 41km/26miles.
(B), (L), (D)
Day 7: After a relaxing breakfast you will be transferred by mini-van to Vienna where you can make arrangements for your onward journey.
(B)
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Bike rental: $130.
Single supplement: $500.
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Czech Republic
Austria
Archeology/History
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