Sunday 9th of July 2023
we have been there the previous year. It is 35° C outside, we drive with the air conditioning on and take it easy. After more or less 8 hours of driving we safely arrive in Heidenau near Dresden, get the permission to leave the camping car there, like we did for last year's trip and enjoy a lovely salad on the "Ausspann's" terrace.
Monday 10th of July
Early birds this morning! In the night there was some rolling thunder and we wondered, if we might get soaked today? But the morning sky is heavy with big clouds, some single droplets but it is still pleasantly warm. We might escape the heavy rain this time, who knows? At 8:00 we are ready on the "Elberadweg", luckily easy to find.
Soon we cycle through a valley, die "Sächsische Schweiz", an absolute stunning and breathtaking landscape with fantastic rock formations like the "Monk". We have to stop and take pictures; it is simply amazing. After some 40 km, we are right at the Czech border: our first time in the Czech Republic, exciting!!! The landscape is still very special, here they call it "Böhmische Schweiz" with all these rocks and cliffs in peculiar shapes. We even see a via ferrata and see rock climbers, too. A thought is crossing our mind: wouldn't this be a good place for a camper-holiday with bikes, trekking and climbing gear?
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| Děčín |
This morning we packed the rain gear right on top of the bags, well, so far, we are having thunder (really loud) and lightning, a few drops fall but still no heavy rain shower. It is rather hot and damp, so we cycle on at full speed. We arrive in Ùsti Nad Labem (Ùsti on the Elbe), Inter Hotel Bohemia, 80 km. Just about: heavy rain is coming down, we get some dinner but don't feel like visiting the town in the pouring rain.(. Not as if there were many attractions.). In the restaurant we realize that people hardly speak any foreign language, except for scraps of English or a tiny bit of German.
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| Ústí nad Labem |
Tuesday 11th of July
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| Roudnice |
The hotel serves breakfast very early. So, we eat early and are off before 8:00. We easily find our way out of town, we are relieved. The morning is pleasant, a little breeze, we enjoy a nice countryside, cycle through Roudnice, next to the river Elbe (in Czech: Labe). Soon we get to the junction (Mělnik) where we leave the river Labe (Elbe) and get to the river Moldau (Vlatava in Czech).
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| Mělnik |
Here we meet the Eurovelo 7 (a track that runs from Norway down to Sicilia, some 7500 km) ... We get some lovely pictures of Mělnik, Church + Moldau... It feels very adventurous to follow a new river, I keep on humming Smetana's Moldau... The sight is nice, lovely greenery, through a nature reserve... Get a drink somewhere along the river and arrive at Sport Hotel, Kralupy nad Vlatava (Kralupy an der Moldau).95 km. Dinner at the hotel
Wednesday 12th of July
6:30, during the night we had a rather noisy thunderstorm plus heavy rain. But in the morning the rain stops, although the skies are all covered. But still a good temperature. So, we don't panic and just start our cycling day. Shortly after our departure the clouds split, and we get some sun! But the air is heavy and damp, we are sweating quite a lot. Soon we get to Prague, we see many old buildings, properly restored, with beautiful gables, grand villas and mansions, churches and museums, mighty stone bridges and spectacular church spires. But above all: heaps of tourists, the city is crammed, a large flow of people slowly rolling through the narrow streets like a flow of lava. We push our bikes through the crowds, not an easy job with our fully loaded bicycle! We desperately try to shoot some pictures while struggling with the bikes in heavy traffic (tram, buses, cars, bikes, pedestrians). We decide we must come back one day at a different period, certainly not in high summer, and enjoy the city properly.
6:30, during the night we had a rather noisy thunderstorm plus heavy rain. But in the morning the rain stops, although the skies are all covered. But still a good temperature. So, we don't panic and just start our cycling day. Shortly after our departure the clouds split, and we get some sun! But the air is heavy and damp, we are sweating quite a lot. Soon we get to Prague, we see many old buildings, properly restored, with beautiful gables, grand villas and mansions, churches and museums, mighty stone bridges and spectacular church spires. But above all: heaps of tourists, the city is crammed, a large flow of people slowly rolling through the narrow streets like a flow of lava. We push our bikes through the crowds, not an easy job with our fully loaded bicycle! We desperately try to shoot some pictures while struggling with the bikes in heavy traffic (tram, buses, cars, bikes, pedestrians). We decide we must come back one day at a different period, certainly not in high summer, and enjoy the city properly.
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| Pragu |
We cycle on, meeting many sluices along the river. Here they let some water gush out and it is a place for the famous Czech kayaks to practice their slaloms. Absolutely great to watch! Czechs are well known for kayak and climbing. Two sports we have done/ do practice ourselves, so we are at awe to see what this kayakists achieve in the water! Amazing! "Ballet on water".
We continue our way and get a bit confused, choose some wrong turns. We realize we must get to the other shore. while cycling back, we find a ferry. The ferry's captain is the first unfriendly (even rude) person we meet in the Czech Republic! He orders, (shouts) us around, all in Czech and we don't figure out what it is that he wants. He is so grumpy that other passengers apologize for his rude behaviour. But never mind, we safely arrive at the shore and leave.
On the other riverbank we pedal on to Řevnice, Pivovar Hotel. Right before our arrival we get into a rain shower, but we cope with that being close to hotel. We settle down and, in the shower, I discover to my dismay a tic on my upper leg. We immediately take it out and I hope, I won't contract Lyme disease... Dinner at the Pivovar Restaurant, a bit of a challenge since no one speaks a single word in another language...
Thursday 3rd of July
breakfast and fast departure. Today the Eurovelo 7 leads us for 55 km over a road with some traffic, but not so dense that it would be alarming. Cycling on we meet some proper cycling paths, too, as well as dirt tracks, and many hills, all the way long. In the end we take it easy on the pleasant riverside ride. We encounter a fair number of railway barriers: there is no turnpike but a red flashy light blinking and a bell ringing. That's the warning you get for an oncoming train. So watch out! better look twice before crossing! nevertheless it is a good way of doing it, avoids the typical long waiting queues! Since our first day in the Czech Republic, we saw quite a number of old, big factories, huge buildings, very often with high red brick chimneys, abandoned and rotting away. Probably lost with the competition of Western Industries. Crumbling to bits, what a pity! In the end we enter Plzen (Pilsen). What a surprise! stunning houses, gorgeous gables and balconies, fantastic mansions. Never expected this in a town with a name I never knew before (and can hardly pronounce...) Plzen! After searching around we get to Hotel Plzen, get settled and very soon leave the hotel, ready to shoot some nice pictures (dinner on a terrace, lovely) 85km
breakfast and fast departure. Today the Eurovelo 7 leads us for 55 km over a road with some traffic, but not so dense that it would be alarming. Cycling on we meet some proper cycling paths, too, as well as dirt tracks, and many hills, all the way long. In the end we take it easy on the pleasant riverside ride. We encounter a fair number of railway barriers: there is no turnpike but a red flashy light blinking and a bell ringing. That's the warning you get for an oncoming train. So watch out! better look twice before crossing! nevertheless it is a good way of doing it, avoids the typical long waiting queues! Since our first day in the Czech Republic, we saw quite a number of old, big factories, huge buildings, very often with high red brick chimneys, abandoned and rotting away. Probably lost with the competition of Western Industries. Crumbling to bits, what a pity! In the end we enter Plzen (Pilsen). What a surprise! stunning houses, gorgeous gables and balconies, fantastic mansions. Never expected this in a town with a name I never knew before (and can hardly pronounce...) Plzen! After searching around we get to Hotel Plzen, get settled and very soon leave the hotel, ready to shoot some nice pictures (dinner on a terrace, lovely) 85km
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| Plzen |
Friday 14th of July
Hotel Plzen provides us a real outstanding breakfast. Again, totally unexpected in this place, but delicious. A bit hard to find our way out of town. After all, Plzen stands for the brewery of "Urquelle Pils", a gigantic beer production. But the cycling tracks are a bit in "development" and leave much to be desired...
Again, long rides on the road, with and without traffic, a lot of dirt tracks, one particularly hard and steep! With big stones, nasty! 75 km and we are already really tired, so we treat ourselves to drinks and ice creams in Domažlice, a small town with a nice main square. After the break we take up the last stretch to "Furth im Wald“, Hotel Fellner, 90km. We are back in Germany now (Bayern).
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Dobřany+Domažlice |
Saturday 15th July
early and hearty breakfast. Nice start on good tracks. Some tough stretches, too! Over a very (!) steep dirt track up through a forest, to a church, and downhill on a real steep and dangerous gravelled path. We wonder about the people who make these long-distance tracks like (eurovelo 3), in our opinion lacking a bit of common sense...
Today the landscape is so different from the Czech Republic! Hilly, the river Regen winding through a very green valley. Endless meadows, deep green colors (in contrast to the "beigy"/yellow wheat fields in the Czech Republic). It is one giant National Park with plenty of storks stalking through the plains hunting for frogs. Get a break, let our feet dangle into the river for refreshment, have a drink. After that we follow the P(rag), M(ünich), R(egensburg) PMR-trail to Hotel Haselbach, 8km before Regensburg. The landlord is really friendly and very funny (even flirting shamelessly with me) ;dinner at a little local pizzeria, we take the bike to it.100 km. (thunderstorms predicted for the coming days...)
Sunday 16th of July
after breakfast we have a long chat with a very interesting French couple, who cycled around the world. Then a fright: we cannot find Gaston's key for the battery + the lock. After a real extended search, we find it in a tiny pocket and are relieved!! - get the rain gear on and finally start the day trip. We ride through Regensburg with a very quick glimpse at the Dome, the Old Town... .and cycle on.
early and hearty breakfast. Nice start on good tracks. Some tough stretches, too! Over a very (!) steep dirt track up through a forest, to a church, and downhill on a real steep and dangerous gravelled path. We wonder about the people who make these long-distance tracks like (eurovelo 3), in our opinion lacking a bit of common sense...
Today the landscape is so different from the Czech Republic! Hilly, the river Regen winding through a very green valley. Endless meadows, deep green colors (in contrast to the "beigy"/yellow wheat fields in the Czech Republic). It is one giant National Park with plenty of storks stalking through the plains hunting for frogs. Get a break, let our feet dangle into the river for refreshment, have a drink. After that we follow the P(rag), M(ünich), R(egensburg) PMR-trail to Hotel Haselbach, 8km before Regensburg. The landlord is really friendly and very funny (even flirting shamelessly with me) ;dinner at a little local pizzeria, we take the bike to it.100 km. (thunderstorms predicted for the coming days...)
Sunday 16th of July
after breakfast we have a long chat with a very interesting French couple, who cycled around the world. Then a fright: we cannot find Gaston's key for the battery + the lock. After a real extended search, we find it in a tiny pocket and are relieved!! - get the rain gear on and finally start the day trip. We ride through Regensburg with a very quick glimpse at the Dome, the Old Town... .and cycle on.
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| Regensburg |
At one point it rains so hard that we take shelter in a little bus stop. In the morning we cycled for a very short while along the river Danube, nostalgia! (since we have done this section years before, when we cycled the Eurovelo 6, running from the Atlantic to the Black Sea). Luckily the rain soon changes from heavy to light. But we have to cycle on for+/- 60 km on gravel. Oh oh, my pool wrists! We enjoy a snack in Beilngries, and after a little mixing up of directions, get to pension Arzberghof. We have to walk into the next village to get some dinner. The weather changes for the better, after the rain we've met many storks, egrets and cranes hunting in the wet green meadows. Dinner is nice on the terrace, but the best is the digestive liquor with the funny name: "Sau-schwanzerl-beisser" (piggy tail biter?) 93 km.
Monday 17th of July
when we leave Arzbergdorf to get back to our track, we are back on gravel. But at least the heavy rain that came down before breakfast, miraculously stopped, the sky is slowly clearing up, although it is still a bit chilly. We cycle towards Hiltropstein and pass close to Greding, where I get into a precious stones and minerals shop, the biggest I ever found. What a pity to be on the road with our bike! No way to buy more than a small bracelet! We continue our way, many ups and downs, quite steep stretches until we reach the "Main-Donau-Kanal", all on gravel. We follow this till Nürnberg, Arvena Messe Hotel. We leave the bikes at the hotel and catch the underground, to get to the centre of Nürnberg. The "Kaiserburg", Nürnbergs emblem, is overtowering the old city. Nürnberg is dedicated to the painter Albrecht Dürer; but above all Nürnberg was a stronghold in Luther's time, supporting his reformation movement. Today we associate Nürnberg mainly with its famous "Christkindlmarket", one of the oldest Christmas markets in Germany. Nice town and visit.
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| Nürnberg |
Tuesday 18th of July
we have a bit of a hard time to get out of Nürnberg, the navigation system playing funny tricks on us. It takes 14 km to get out and back to the main Canal. We are relieved when right then I hear a terribly crashing noise and my back wheel blocks. It nearly lifts me out of the saddle. Checking the situation, I realize that the elastic band, which I used to fix my rucksack on the cargo rack, came loose (with all the bumps and potholes). It got tangled up in the spikes and changing gear. Gaston can fix it and I cycle on, my rucksack on my back now, I'm glad I did not have a nasty fall. But nevertheless, suffering continues: along the canal nothing but gravel. Merciless, until we get to Bamberg (80km) Hotel Ibis. We quickly put our bikes into a little shack and hurry up to get into Central Bamberg. The old town is on a little island, we reach it over picturesque bridges. Museums, Dome, "Hauptmarkt" (main marketplace), stunning little streets with many photogenic hidden corners, tiny shops, art galleries and exclusive restaurants. And of course, the ever-present beautiful half-timbered houses. We have quite an extended walk until we get into an Indian restaurant to enjoy a nice dinner.
we have a bit of a hard time to get out of Nürnberg, the navigation system playing funny tricks on us. It takes 14 km to get out and back to the main Canal. We are relieved when right then I hear a terribly crashing noise and my back wheel blocks. It nearly lifts me out of the saddle. Checking the situation, I realize that the elastic band, which I used to fix my rucksack on the cargo rack, came loose (with all the bumps and potholes). It got tangled up in the spikes and changing gear. Gaston can fix it and I cycle on, my rucksack on my back now, I'm glad I did not have a nasty fall. But nevertheless, suffering continues: along the canal nothing but gravel. Merciless, until we get to Bamberg (80km) Hotel Ibis. We quickly put our bikes into a little shack and hurry up to get into Central Bamberg. The old town is on a little island, we reach it over picturesque bridges. Museums, Dome, "Hauptmarkt" (main marketplace), stunning little streets with many photogenic hidden corners, tiny shops, art galleries and exclusive restaurants. And of course, the ever-present beautiful half-timbered houses. We have quite an extended walk until we get into an Indian restaurant to enjoy a nice dinner.
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| Bamberg |
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Wednesday 19th of July
leaving Bamberg is very easy, the tracks are signed out right at the hotel, first 20 km are with no particular interest. But then we find our way back to the greenery, to the pastures and wetlands (Auen). So lovely to cycle here, there are plenty of storks and egrets. We enjoy our "nature" cycling until we get through several little towns/villages, like Lichtenfels,a nice little place, famous for its wickerwork.....We ride on until we get to Kulmbach, Tastehotel 80km. Plassemburg enthroned high above the town and rather impressive. I can buy a new elastic band for my luggage rack, glad to take the rucksack off my shoulders.
Threatening sky, temperature drop, so we pack the rain gear right on top. 20 kms easy and pleasant but then rough gravel and..... really hilly. After Bad Berneck we read "Fichtelgebirge" (funny name, but the word "Gebirge= mountains" is worrisome). And right we were to be a bit alarmed, it climbs up to a+/- 750 m level, steep and very cruel descends, all on the rather dangerous gravel. Additionally, to the ups and downs there is a hard wind nearly knocking us off the bikes. After 75 km we decide to get a coffee and break at the baker’s. Some locals engage us into a little chat and after a nice break and a good laugh, we follow the river "Saale" to the town of Hof. Hotel Kuhbogen. 82 km |
| Saaleturm / Schloss Burgk |
Friday 21 of July
Although the hotel looks rather modest, we get a splendid breakfast, such an abundance of food! Right after our first kilometres we understand how this day is going to develop: very very steep ascents (up to 12%!!); quite cruel and thrilling descends, typical roller coaster style. But thinking, this is it, well, we are mistaken: we get some more of that but this time on gravel and bad-quality tracks and with rain! Some scary moments. We are in a national park, "Thüringer Schiefergebirge" (Obere Saale)! So, following the river Saale does not mean following the meandering river through the valley. Instead of this the cycle path goes up and down from one meander to the next one. Raingear on and off. Cold. After another 50 km, coffee and cake in Saalberg. Some 8 km before reaching our destination we get to a detour, due to trees blocking the cycle path, after a heavy storm. So, we get back, three full kilometres of tough ascent! Get to Ziegenrück, Thüringerhof 77km. It's cold by now and raining! During the day, I get the feeling that local people try to encourage us: they greet us and make comments. This is not the Elbe/Donau cycling with hordes of bikers, but a pretty hard and lonely Mountain route. So the locals’ comments! On the way to Ziegenrück I have climbed the "Saalturm", 242 m high construction that gives me good views over the hilltops. (Schloss Burgk). Ziegenrück is a tiny speck situated in a rather dark valley.
Although the hotel looks rather modest, we get a splendid breakfast, such an abundance of food! Right after our first kilometres we understand how this day is going to develop: very very steep ascents (up to 12%!!); quite cruel and thrilling descends, typical roller coaster style. But thinking, this is it, well, we are mistaken: we get some more of that but this time on gravel and bad-quality tracks and with rain! Some scary moments. We are in a national park, "Thüringer Schiefergebirge" (Obere Saale)! So, following the river Saale does not mean following the meandering river through the valley. Instead of this the cycle path goes up and down from one meander to the next one. Raingear on and off. Cold. After another 50 km, coffee and cake in Saalberg. Some 8 km before reaching our destination we get to a detour, due to trees blocking the cycle path, after a heavy storm. So, we get back, three full kilometres of tough ascent! Get to Ziegenrück, Thüringerhof 77km. It's cold by now and raining! During the day, I get the feeling that local people try to encourage us: they greet us and make comments. This is not the Elbe/Donau cycling with hordes of bikers, but a pretty hard and lonely Mountain route. So the locals’ comments! On the way to Ziegenrück I have climbed the "Saalturm", 242 m high construction that gives me good views over the hilltops. (Schloss Burgk). Ziegenrück is a tiny speck situated in a rather dark valley.
Saturday 22nd of July
the sky is blue, but it is freezing in Ziegenrück's valley. Our cycling track, the "Saalradweg" is blocked at several places (landslide) and the bikers’ ferry out of order. So, we need to change our route planning. Since we meet so many "detour" signs, we decide to get up onto the plateau by road. Luckily it is early morning, there is no traffic, and the ride is fine enough.
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| Burg Ranis |
We soon get to Saalenfeld a.d. Saale : we stop and take a few pictures of the old town; after another while we get to Rudolstadt with a nice Marketplace. The route is still hilly but clearly less hard than the day before. After 70 km we desperately try to get a drink, unfortunately nothing but ghost towns, lifeless villages. Since we have no choice, we go on till right outside of Jena, Maxx Hotel. Get dinner at a little Vietnamese, shopping at a supermarket and relax 87 km.
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| Saalfeld |
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| Kahla |
Sunday 23rd of July
great breakfast. We decide not to visit Jena, it is a rather modern University City now, the old town destroyed during the second World War. Gaston guides us safely to the cycling track and we don't regret our choice: - alone, next to a little brook, through the forest, the path is leading up and down through a lovely scenery. It reminds us a bit of our Luxembourgish "Müllertal". - arriving in Gera, we get into town,
take some pictures and treat ourselves to a real good ice cream. Outside of the centre, we sit on a bench and enjoy the late afternoon breeze, a peaceful moment. First drops start to fall so we finish the ride in Ronneburg, Hotel Gambrinus 67 km.
Monday 24th of July
quite noisy in tiny Ronneburg, a lot of traffic going through the village. Quick breakfast and soon we are off. The signed-out track is a bit confusing, so we decide to follow Gaston's download. All villages that we cross are neat and tidy, very well maintained and these half-timbered houses remind me so much of the English Cottages. After 45 km we get into a solid rain shower, we run for a shelter and stand beneath a little bus stop. Later we wait under a bridge... Now, after the rain, we struggle with the wet and soaked gravel, the bigger stones make our front wheels jump and slip! Although the ride is not so easy (little nasty ascent...) we enjoy the sightseeing, beautiful houses in Crimmitschau... We lose the official track again and keep on following the mobile's navigation. This leads us through various little urbanisations until we get to Achat Hotel, right next to Chemnitz. 70 km (Asian Dinner, little take out)
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| Gera |
Monday 24th of July
quite noisy in tiny Ronneburg, a lot of traffic going through the village. Quick breakfast and soon we are off. The signed-out track is a bit confusing, so we decide to follow Gaston's download. All villages that we cross are neat and tidy, very well maintained and these half-timbered houses remind me so much of the English Cottages. After 45 km we get into a solid rain shower, we run for a shelter and stand beneath a little bus stop. Later we wait under a bridge... Now, after the rain, we struggle with the wet and soaked gravel, the bigger stones make our front wheels jump and slip! Although the ride is not so easy (little nasty ascent...) we enjoy the sightseeing, beautiful houses in Crimmitschau... We lose the official track again and keep on following the mobile's navigation. This leads us through various little urbanisations until we get to Achat Hotel, right next to Chemnitz. 70 km (Asian Dinner, little take out)
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| Chemnitz |
Tuesday 25th of July
A lot of rain during the night, temperature drop (13°). So Gaston decides to cut a real hard day trip (120 km) into two halves: first day to Freiberg, second day back to Dresden. And right he was! With a constant rain threat we first get a quick visit of Chemnitz "Roter Turm" / famous giant head sculpture of Karl Marx. In DDR times (Eastern Germany) Chemnitz was called "Karl Marx Stadt". It was meant to be an outstanding model for industry and working class. - Chemnitz was bombed during the second world war, not many original buildings left.
A lot of rain during the night, temperature drop (13°). So Gaston decides to cut a real hard day trip (120 km) into two halves: first day to Freiberg, second day back to Dresden. And right he was! With a constant rain threat we first get a quick visit of Chemnitz "Roter Turm" / famous giant head sculpture of Karl Marx. In DDR times (Eastern Germany) Chemnitz was called "Karl Marx Stadt". It was meant to be an outstanding model for industry and working class. - Chemnitz was bombed during the second world war, not many original buildings left.
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| Chemnitz, Karl Marx, Roter Turm |
We cycle out of town to meet endless works on the cycling track. So many detours, everywhere, rather annoying. In general, we can say that the biggest part of the landscape is really nice, it is the bad quality of the cycling tracks we are having trouble with: very cruel gravel (stones the size of a mandarin) that makes your front wheel go helter-skelter! After all, this is the "Erzgebirge: we quickly understand that we are in the middle of a mountain route, certainly when we read the sign: "Ski-lift in 100 m”." again 14% ascents and descents on threatening gravel. I grab the bike’s handlebar so tightly that my fingers turn numb. My wrists are in a continuous pain from all these bumps! A shame, we cycle on, sometimes on busy roads since many options are blocked or totally cut off. And we are not the only ones riding on the difficult track: all the cars drive on the "sneaky" roads, at one point a bus (!!!) is getting straight towards us... On a CYCLING track! We get to Freiberg, Pension Bergmann-Welp, with only 57 km. It is really cold now and it rains so hard that we vote against any sightseeing. Some shopping for breakfast (no breakfast provided in this pension), dinner at the pizzeria.
Wednesday 26th of July
Rain, all evening, all night long! No heating and cold. I prepare a little homemade breakfast and we leave as soon as we can. The skies are grey but no rain, yet! Gaston follows his downloaded tracks and organizes another shortcut since the weather is all but inviting! We are fighting with soaked gravel; we realize that the final day is not giving us an easy finish. At the end, we get to Dresden, don't enter the town (we had visited it the previous year), and continue towards Heidenau, the departure place where our car is waiting for us.65 km. We pack up, load the camping car, +/- 8 hours driving back home, arrive at 21:00 dead beat at home. Trip +/- 1400 km
