Bicycle tour through the Garden of Bohemia

Explore the interesting places of the Garden of Bohemia and Podřipsko by bike. Take a trip along the Elbe cycle route from Litoměřice to Roudnice nad Labem. In Roudnice you can visit the Lobkowicz Castle or the Hlásku Tower. In the meantime, you can store your bike at the Podřipsko Information and Transport Centre, where you can also get information about where to go.

It starts in the city of Litoměřice heading first for Terezín, with its fortress museum and underground passage tours - fortress town of Terezín. Then it continues along the Elbe along the Elbe Cycle Route’s alternative 2A branch all the way to Roudnice nad Labem, where you’ll want to stop at the Lobkowicz castle, built on a Romanesque fortress. Roudnice is notable for its excellent wines, among other things. For the ride back to Litoměřice, take the main fork of the Elbe Cycle Route along the river’s right bank. Along the way, you can stop at one of the popular trailside rest stops such as U Sumce, Cyklobar U Trumpetky, or Wake & Fun. Once you get back to Litoměřice, you can park your bicycle in the Cycle Station near the bus station and head to the Kalich lookout or Dome Square with St. Stephen's Cathedral. Don't forget to visit the Bishop's Brewery at St. Stephen's and taste the excellent local beer, which is also one of the regional products of the Bohemian Central Highlands. If you liked the Garden of Bohemia or stayed in the brewery a little longer, you can use the services of the Hostel U Sv. Štěpána, which is located in the same building as the brewery and offers very affordable accommodation.

The starting point can be the town of Litoměřice, but the route can also be taken from Roudnice nad Labem. For most of the trip the route leads along the cycle path. In some places secondary roads are also used.

Length of trip

42 km; Climb: 87 m, Descent: 87 m

Route

Litoměřice - Nučnice - Lounky - Roudnice nad Labem - Libotenice - Terezín - Litoměřice

Route on mapy.cz.

Stops

The fortress town Terezín was built near the Labe and Ohře rivers’ junction during the reign of the Emperor Joseph II between 1780 and 1790. To honour his mother, the Empress Marie Terezie, he named it Terezín. Its aim was to protect the access roads into the heart of Bohemia against enemy armies during the Prussia-Austrian Wars. The fortress used to be one of the most modern ones in the world.

The whole complex consists of the Small Fortress and the Main Fortress and the fortified space in between them. The fortress never served its original, defensive purpose, but even after it lost the status of an official fortress, it remained an important army town. Ever since the beginning of the 19th century the Small Fortress served as a jail for military prisoners and the Habsburg monarchy opponents.

The town became world famous during the Nazi Germany occupation of Bohemia. Both fortresses were changed into persecution facilities. The Small Fortress was the seat of the Prague Gestapo police prison and the Main Fortress – the town Terezín itself – was in November 1941 changed into a ghetto, a concentration camp for Jews. During the post war era 1945-1948 the Small Fortress served as an internment camp for Germans.