Day 2- Nova Zivohost-Tabor

The route: 69.8 km

Elevation profile

• Out of the campground taking the pink routes to the East to meet  cycle route 11 (Vienna-Prague Greenway)
  • Head South east through Krchleby/Krecovice/Brisejov/Suchdol
• Catch the marked cycle route 11 at Klimetice
  • Well-marked to Tabor, except for Sedlec-Prcice (when entering town, at first square, pass to the left of it; at the second square with the church, turn right by the church and then continue straight.  The main road to Tabor will be off to your right, but keeping straight takes you on the back roads.)
• To the campground Soukenik, 6km south of Tabor:
  • Coming into Tabor: Follow the cycle route 11 signs that weave through town, past the train station and along side-streets.  Leaving the southern end of Tabor, take cycle route 1173 south along the Luznice River.  It goes mostly along the river and then winds through a residential neighborhood. Turn right onto a main street.  After a few hundred meters, turn right along a dirt road back to the river as the main road bends sharply to the left.  The campground is on the dirt road as it winds along the river.

We cycled through village after charming village.

The ride:

Vienna-Prague Greenway to Tabor

Looking for an easier way today, we were contemplating heading  back to the west to catch some interesting places around Pisek.  But that would mean more mountains (or at least steeper hills). We see lots of hills in our future, so we are trying to avoid them when we can.  So instead, we chose to come down on the east side of the Vltava River and over to Tabor.

A wealth of bike route info. Tabor, Czech Republic

We headed east from the campground to catch  the cycle route 11 or the Vienna-Prague Greenway.  The route follows the river so we figured it would be flat.  Of course, nothing here is flat.  The inclines were shorter and less steep than Day 1.   The terrain was not as grand, however; it was filled with lovely rolling farmland nonetheless.

We met two sets of cycle tourists today, Martin from Germany and a random North-bound French couple, who stopped to chat and share some route advice.   We played cat and mouse with Martin a bit, when we first saw him in the town where we were both stocking up on lunch.  We were starving, so we ate ours in the town park, while Martin headed out of town.  He also stopped upon us taking pictures as we like to do and asked if we had some grease for his headset.  When Tyler was helping him out, he noticed that it wasn’t the headset, but his front hub that was loose. (T, the intrepid mechanic ; )  He tightened it up, and we had done our helpful cyclist deed of the day.  We headed on leaving him along the road as he seemed keen to fiddle with his bike more, knowing the younger and fitter Martin would catch up with us again as we were both on the same route to Tabor.

Czech rolling countryside on the Vienna-Prague Greenway

The route was very well marked except in Sedlec- Prcice; we were alerted by the French couple who were riding back to Praha along the Greenway.  With trusty map in hand,   we were able to catch the second right by the church that was not well-marked. (See more specific routing tips above).

That’s where we lost Martin, who didn’t have the tip. We tried to signal to him, but he rode past, perhaps taking the more direct route to get to a bike shop in Tabor.

Taking the quieter cycle route 11into Tabor, away from the main roads we covered the remaining 40k in about 3 hours, stopping from village to village to admire the scenery and review some interpretive signs along the cycle routes. Once in Tabor we meandered about for a bit as route 11 becomes a bit convoluted until you arrive in front of the train station where a wealth of cycle route signage is on display. After some quick route checking and a pizza dinner we headed south for the night’s lodging, having targeted  a campground on the Luznice river just 6km south of town.

It’s pivo time

Soukenik Campground

There are 2 campgrounds in Soukenik, within 100 meters of each other. We chose the one furthest south.  It was a little oasis, with a snack bar and green pasture by the river.  Not the cleanest bath facilities ever, but cheap, friendly and conveniently located along cycle route 1173 nonetheless.  Our fellow campers were young families taking canoes down the river.  In Czech republic, even in the simpliest campgrounds, you can rest assured of a great selection of beer on tap behind the counter.  We enjoyed some of Czech’s finest before retiring to the tent along the babbling sounds of the river.