West Bohemia
На русском. 🇷🇺
Chemnitz (former Karl-Marx-Stadt) - Karlovy Vary - Plzeň - Prague
three days on the bikes 🚵🚵🚵(🚵)
May 2025 in Germany was packed with extra days off on Thursdays, turning Fridays into a mini-vacation. Such a Friday even has a name - Brückentag (bridge day).
This time, we decided to cycle from Chemnitz to Prague over three days (about 320 km). The core group was Jozef, Daniil, and me. On the first day, Andrey joined us.
The start of the trip wasn’t perfect.
The day before, I checked my main camera and found it stopped working. I had to take my old, slightly more compact 100D instead.
The weather forecast predicted rain.
In the morning, Jozef got a flat tire on his way to the station. He changed the tube on the train, but the new one was leaking too. Later, he replaced it again, this time with a standard black rubber tube instead of a thin, lightweight TPU one, and the wheel issues stopped.
Around 11 a.m., we arrived in Chemnitz by train and set off toward Karlovy Vary. It was quite warm (about 20°C in the sun) and, despite the forecast, no rain.
The first day had the biggest total climb - about 1,900 meters.
We passed through a small town when it was time for lunch. Almost everything was closed. We found an Italian restaurant, but its kitchen was on a break. A quick online search led us to a place in the woods nearby. It was a gamble whether it was open, but we rode over the hills to check. We were greeted with warm hospitality, Russian speaking staff and a delicious meal.
After lunch, we reached the Czech border and began climbing Klínovec. The temperature dropped fast, hitting 10°C. We didn’t linger on the mountain and continued with a long descent. The headwind made the cold feel sharper, but it got better lower down.
Approaching our destination, Jozef spotted a small brewery where we happily replenished our electrolytes.
Most eateries in Karlovy Vary close at 10 p.m. We found a Mexican bar-restaurant open until 11 and enjoyed a tasty dinner there.
The next day, we had breakfast with baguettes/sandwiches near our overnight stay and rode to Plzeň. Andrey decided he might not make it back to catch his train in Plzeň, so he headed to Chemnitz.
The day was sunny and warm, with temperatures around 25°C.
We rode along the river to Loket Castle. The castle and its surroundings give off a sense of ancient history.
Then, through fields and small towns, we headed to Plzeň. The climbs were shorter and easier, and the last 20 km were flat or slightly downhill, so we cruised along comfortably.
The main tourist attraction is the Pilsner Urquell brewery. There’s also a restaurant there where we had dinner.
The bus from Prague was scheduled to leave at 6 p.m. In the morning, we had breakfast and, trying not to waste time, set off on the final segment.
The weather turned hot, with temperatures reaching 35°C in the sun. Fortunately, there were no major climbs, and the ride was pleasant.
Along the way, we came across a poppy field with red and purple poppies - something I’d never seen before.
Near Karlštejn Castle, we stopped to rest and drink some non-alcoholic beer.
As we were leaving the castle, a storm loomed menacingly from the side. The thunderstorm with lightning passed by, but the rain caught us, and we rode the final 20 km to Prague on wet roads.
In Prague, it was almost dry. We arrived nearly an hour before the bus, giving us time to eat and change. The bus from Prague to Berlin takes about 4 hours, and late Saturday evening, we arrived and parted ways to our respective homes.