LENGTH AND ELEVATION: 365 km / 3800 m
MAP
PROFILE
Second section start with rather easy 20km section along minor roads and cycling path in Šumava.
Behind village Srní, with is nice church as a dominant, you will definitely enjoy 4km gravel section alon Vchynice-Tetov channel,
which finishes by impressive gate bridge Rechle, over Vydra river.
Afterward you will pass village Modrava and beautiful plains near Filipova Huť.
At 220.km you can use advantage of our mass booking in (a bit retro) guesthouse Zotavovna in Kvilda. Tis is a great place to stay overnight and enjoy the best of Šumava next day, under daylight.
From Kvilda you will be slowly climbing to the source of czech second biggest river Vltava. Which riders will follow next almost 150km.
Don´t miss small detour along wooden footpath to the source and be careful as it could be a bit slippery. Just a bit further you will reach the highest point of RACZ26 route, which lies at 1260m, at pass undhill Stráž.
From here, you will start slow 50km descent until Vyšší Brod, with just a few short climbs. At first you will cross breathtaking plains Knížecí Pláně, where you can also stop for a food or book overnight in a traditional mountain hut.
Here you can enjoy very nice views, before you will get lost in mostly deep forest along Častá river. Hree comes a real wilderness.
In Strážný we organize another option for overnight stay in local guesthouse.
With a very useful nearby gas station MOL, as a good place for early coffee and breakfast.
Also next 12km are rather easy and fast, with regular changes of open plains and forrest.
Until village Nové Údolí, where you will get through picturesque bridge, …
find reminders of Iron Curtail, water tank and even few facilities for food and accommodation.
Our most favourite section through Šumava starts at 260.km, where you will arrive to a famous Schwarzenberg´s channel.
You will follow this exceptional work of czech technical architecture for almost 30km and enjoy an euphoric ride on flat gravel road.
Probably the most interesting place along a channel is a upper portal of the navigation tunnel, which lies just before village Jelení, where riders who will not hurry can even visit its museum.
In Horní Zvonková, you will start to be bored by riding along channel so you can just take a look at its nice church,
and then we will send you down to czech biggest water dam Lipno I. You will meet it for a first in Račín bay and you will stay riding along for next 25km, mostly on tiny smooth asphalt road.
In Přední Výtoň we would definitely recommend to stop for a short rest in restaurant CykloDepo, which has very fast self-service, just near one of the best Lipno beaches.
Another technical monument on RACZ26 Route is Lipno power station, which lies under 25 m high and 296 m long earthen dam.
We are you will enjoy also next 10km section along Vltava, where you will follow funny single-train between rocks and railway tracks, until you will pass water dam Lipno II.
After small town Vyšší Brod you will stretch your legs during 3km climb along Alšova obora game reserve (with deer). Anyway, it is not a tough hill, and will be rewarded for this effort by spectacular view on another highight of RACZ26 Route – castle Rožmberk.
This massive castle from 13th century rises high above Vltava river. So be ready for a short push to castle gate. At the top you will reach castle´s courtyard with nice water fountain, and get another dose of endorphins, caused by amazing views on city square and meander of Vltava.
We didn´t want to draw The Route to Český Krumlov along busy road 160..
So you need to go up again, but along quiet asphalt minor and forest roads, with plenty of nice views.
At 360.km lies one of absolute highlight and czech 2nd most visited town – Český Krumlov.
Arrival to this town we will be – as is customary with us – truly epic, as you will cross Vltava (again) over 200 years old covered wooden footbridge, situated above a wild weir.
We highly recommend to get to Český Krumlov in early morning, as it becomes crowded during holiday. Anyway, you will surely enjoy ride through the old town, chateaux …
and its spectacular bridge connecting it with its garden. It is a place where it is worth to stop a bit – for at least ice cream 😀 – and taste its atmosphere.
Just cca 6km behihnd ČK, the route leads via few smaller hills around big monastery Zlatá Koruna, and after the descent you will definitely meet Vltava river and slowly start heading to Novohradské hory.
Next 60km you will spend mostly on minor roads, in area without any big cultural highlight, but with a plenty of marvelous small south-bohemian villages, of which the first nice one is for example Čertyně. Few kilometres later you will have to cross two small fords, which are not the only pitfalls in this section.
In village Plav, you will arrive to river Malše, which you will then be crossing 5times during next 5 kilometres. And every crossing will be quite interesting. Except Max Biaggi´s footbridge, we found other extraordinary weir „Rechle“
.. and also one bigger ford, which can be a bit more challenging to pass after bigger rainfalls and with higher water level. For this cases we will give opportunity to make a detour.
Almost exactly at 400.km rises one superbig milestone, which refers to significant period in Czech history, with a big influence of Hussites soldiers.
You will be crossing an area, where most famous Hussite warrior Jan Žižka was born (around year 1360), and has 13m granite statue here.
You can also visit nearby archeological museum.
Behind town Borovany you will enter private farm Safari resort
… and then cross nice forests in nature park Žemlička.
Its biggest jewell is pond Horní Rohožný rybník,
which was surrounded by awesome colorful flowers during our scouting.
Here you will get to Třeboňsko protected area, famous especailly for over 500 ponds.
And yeah, our Route leads along may be 100 of them. So be prepared, that you will start to hate them after 50 kilometres, mostly if you will be riding here in late evening, as it is full of mosquitos.
Nové Hrady will be other top highlight of RACZ26 Route. You will get here through beautiful valley of Stropnice river..
just a few metres later, will – just in front of you – rise its huge gothic castle from 13th century.
We have arranged here a passage through main courtyard.
And you can even reward yourself by icecream in nearby confectionary
You will follow CZ/A borders for a while, with a bit of wilderness energy on a trail near Vyšné.
One of top gravel sections of RACZ26 Route lies in a forests on a way to Nová Ves.
True gravel euphoria will flow in your veins on 2km straight gravel road along railway tracks.
Here, you won´t be riding … but flying!
Behind Nová Ves you will connect on a narrow asphalt road, which will bring you to another majestic place – huge sand pit filled by artificial lake.
Views on golden sand and crystal water will rank this section among best of whole Route.
Next almost 30km you will spend mostly in fresh forests of Třeboňsko area.
With a 12km passage in Austria. This section wasn´t planned, while we were scouting our Route…
… We just followed „the best“ road on every crossroad, and waited, where we will appear.
Some austrian gravel roads are simply delicious.
Place „where foxes say good night“. This saying may be don´t pay as much anywhere else, than on pastures around extinct settlement Nová Ves.
Totally quiet place, where we can bet our homes, that you won ´t meet anyone here (except our Riders).
After you´ve taken a little rest from ponds, you will appear in front Hejtman pond, near town Chlum. And right here, we found for you supercool trap, without which RACZ would not be as unforgettable as we always try to make it. Cca 100m long, and just 1m wide footbridge to small island inside a pond. You don´t need to ride here, but it is must to get there!
Chlum u Třeboně, should be a good place to take some hot meal and buy extra food, as there weren´t much restaurants or shops since Nové Hrady.
But it also has very nice dominant – church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary.
It is hard to count, how many ponds you will be riding around, until you get to Rožmberk – the biggest pond of Czechia, with almost 5km2. On its almost 2km dam you can enjoy a ride through beautiful alley and at the end take a beer or some fast food meal from nice local bistro.
15km further you will arrive to Nežárka, one of biggest rivers in Třeboňsko area. Also this crossing will be pretty interesting – you will like weir Metel and a thundering water under you.
After long hours mostly on forest roads, we think you will appreciate a bit longer section in open area and on minor roads. Which will bring you to our most favourite chateux in Czechia. Červená Lhota is a picturesque red water chateaux. If you come here in a future with a family, you can even rent a boat here. During RACZ26, with 540km in legs, even short stop for a photo will be very emotional.
But now let´s hurry via Kardašova Řečice to Holenský Dvůr, our RestPoint 2,
which marks you are just in a half of full 1110km Route.
