Cycling trip to the hills of the Bohemian Central Uplands - cycle route No. 3057
The trip is quite demanding and is 42 km long. You will be rewarded with a ride along nice forest paths and maybe even a beautiful view from the Varhošt' lookout tower.
Love riding forest trails? This is the ride for you. From Litoměřice take the Elbe Cycle Route through the pretty Porta Bohemica valley to Libochovany and then get on cycle route 3057. The trail climbs from the riverside up into the hills of the Central Bohemian Uplands to an altitude of over 560 m above sea level. Along the way, you can stop at the Calvary for a beautiful view of the Three Crosses or in the village of Kamýk with its castle ruins. Also on the route are the ice pits at Plešivec and a sea of stone (leave your bike behind to walk up to the viewpoint). Continue on through Hlinná and the pass below Varhošť (there is an optional turnoff for the outlook). Then ride through Ovčárna and down to Ploskovice, where you can visit the chateau and grounds and have a bite to eat at Café Páv. Return from Ploskovice to Litoměřice on cycle route 3066.
Length of trip
45 km; Climb: 807 m, Descent: 807 m
Route
Litoměřice - Libochovany - Kamýk - Hlinná - Babiny I - Ovčárna - Staňkovice - Myštice - Ploskovice - Žitenice - Litoměřice
Stops
Plešivec
Plešivec or Ledový hill (often also called Jordán) is a volcanic basalt knoll about 4 km northwest of the town of Litoměřice in the Central Bohemian Uplands Protected Landscape Area.
The main attraction of the hill are the so-called ice pits at the foot of the largest natural rubble field, in which snow and ice are maintained long until spring and there is also very cold air in summer. This is due to the sealing of the lower parts of the rubble field by weathering, so that cold heavy air cannot escape from the resulting tub-shaped parts of the rubble field until it is replaced by even colder air next winter. In the past, partial extraction of the natural rubble happened. They are open, freely moving, without vegetation, only occasionally, old lime trees contribute to their stabilization. The grounded parts of the natural rubble are covered with deciduous forest.
Ice pits in Plešivec belong to the most famous phenomena of its kind in the Central Bohemian Uplands, but it is a phenomenon known from many other places, such as Borečský hill and Kamenná hůra. Below the top there is an ice spring box with a constant water temperature from 5 to 7 °C.
The largest beetle in Europe is a specially protected species. It is the European stag beetle and it has found refuge in the Plešivec Natural Monument.
In the top part of Plešivec there is also a lookout point that offers a beautiful view of the landscape of the Central Bohemian Uplands. The hike to Plešivec can be taken as part of a trip along the Hlinná-Kamýk Nature Trail.