written and photographed by Mary L. Peachin
Oct 1998, Vol. 3 No. 1
Our route directions read “Veer right at the green post pointing to Krybniku, turn left at the Y-intersection away from the parking sign, right at the Y with the trash can, left at the Y intersection near the nice block of granite on your left, left at the next Y, veer left then pass through the low concrete pillars.” Miraculously, it was only at this final juncture that 24 riders got lost bicycling through a city park into the plaza of Ceske Budejovice.
My family was in the midst of a six-day bicycle tour through the Czech Republic, sponsored by a Northern California company called Backroads. On a bicycle tour, even one in a country where you don’t speak the language, getting lost just adds to the adventure. At least that’s what we told ourselves-Czechoslovakian road signs are few and far between and communication was difficult for our international band of non-Czechs. Finding someone who could speak English, showing them a map, then trying to understand their instructions, was always a challenge. Eventually, our group found a woman on a bicycle, who indicated that we were riding in the wrong direction and led us into the plaza, sore but triumphant.
We’d begun the trip in Prague, then hopped a bus south to the medieval town of Kasperske Hory, the starting point for our ride to the cities of Ceske Budejovice and Cesky Krumlov. Each day of the tour began with a “route rap” from one of our two leaders, Wendy and Skye, in which they described our two route options for the day (each of which covered between 30 and 60 miles). During the rap, we packed lunches and did warm-up stretches.
The shorter route usually involved a van transfer to a starting point or a pickup for the ride back to our hotel. We rode at our own pace, although either Wendy or Skye would “sweep” the road, searching for riders in need of help or those who had gone astray. And while the members of our group ranged in age from 30 to 65 (and in condition from athletic to out-of-shape), there was enough time and support for everyone to finish each day’s chosen route.
Although this trip was active, it was far from Spartanspartan. The van carried our luggage from hotel to hotel and the accommodations were always clean and safe. After a single night at the Park Hotel Tosch in Kasperske Hory, we spent two nights at the Hotel Zvon in Ceske Budejovice and two at the Hotel Ruze in Cesky Krumlov. Notes the Backroads catalog, “Though simpler than lodging normally found on Backroads European vacations, our Czech accommodations are the best available and ideally situated in the heart of Bohemia.” We found the hotels, while not luxurious, to be more than adequate and their firm beds comfortable after a hard day of riding. Our only complaint was the boisterous all-night noise from drinkers partying nightly in the plaza fountain in Ceske Budejovice.
We also ate well, and the hearty Czech cuisine-which features goulash, organ meats, duck and goose, dumplings, and lots of gravy-offered sustenance after a long ride. Backroads made a concerted effort to find restaurants on our route that could include vegetables and salads for the health-conscious riders. Carp, pike-perch, and trout were also available, albeit usually fried. We celebrated well, too: Czechoslovakia is known for its beer, and the original Budweiser (much heartier than its namesake) is brewed in Ceske Budejovice.
In addition to our bicycling, we spent several days touring castles, monasteries, ruins, and cities and towns. Helena Nechlebova, an English-speaking Czech, made a fine guide.
Our first tour was through the town of Ceske Budejovice, established in 1265 by the King of Bohemia as a royal town. The city was built on the salt trade route between Austria and Prague. Nechlebova showed us the old salt warehouse and the wagon train station; we then visited the thirteenth-century Hluboka castle. The building had been renovated in the early 1800s by the Schwarzenberg family, who added Flemish tapestries, Venetian glass chandeliers, porcelain, and rare books.
During an evening walking tour through the central plaza of Ceske Budejovice, Helena pointed out thirteenth-century Gothic architecture, plus several Gothic buildings rebuilt in the sixteenth century in Renaissance and Baroque styles. On winding side streets, sgraffito facades with elaborate patterns and pictorial friezes were offset by colorfully painted Bohemian homes. We toured the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, the sixteenth-century Black Watch Tower, City Hall with its Bohemia Coat of Arms, a Dominican monastery, and the Church of the Holy Virgin.
We spent our second day in Ceske Budejovice riding a 36.8-mile loop through the countryside. Backroads had arranged for us to visit a “typical Czech Republic home” in the village of Holasovice, where we shared tea with Blazena AnderlovaIn the patio, she had proudly set out tea and cookies on a linoleum-covered tablecloth. While we were not invited into the modest home, we were welcomed to use the bathroom facilities. The next day our ride took us from Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov, a 33.7-mile ride with a 2000-foot gain in elevation. Cesky Krumlov is a preserved medieval town recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Vltava River flows through this charming village, with its winding cobblestone streets and sgraffito buildings decorated with ornate facades and friezes. While evidence of habitation dates back to the eighth century, the history of the village has been traced from 1253 AD. The architecture embraces Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles.
The next day, we explored the region. Some of our group took a three-kilometer hike to the fourteenth-century Divci Kamen castle ruins, while others toured a twelfth-century medieval monastery built by King Otakar II in the small village of Zlata Koruna. The skyline of Cesky Krumlov is dominated by the immensity of the fortress, mansion, and tower of this Schwarzenberg Castle, more grandiose than the eponymous castle at Hluboka. Magnificent treasures passed through the hands of its owners, including the Rozmberks and Jan Kristian of Eggenberg.
Helena Nechlebova, who lives near Ceske Budejovice, returned to give us a walking tour of Cesky Krumlov. She led us past the Hotel Ruze, an Italian Renaissance building designed as a Jesuit residence in 1586 and recently renovated. We walked through the village square, past a monument built to thank God for keeping the Black Plague from the town. Our last stop was St. Vitus’ Church, where we saw the historic tombstones of abbots laid to rest along the side of the churchyard.
The last day of our trip brought some variety-a three-hour raft trip down the Vltava River. We enjoyed views of the Bohemian birch forest as we meandered down the river. The current was mostly gentle, although two weir and a few riffles provided an opportunity to get wet.
Finally, we said goodbye to our leaders and those tour members traveling south to Italy. The rest of us boarded the bus for Prague, which we would explore for the next three days.
We relaxed on the bus for about 3 hours. Prague is an elegant city whose architecture offers visual magnificence at every turn, and one of the few European capitals spared the devastation of both world wars. An architectural museum of building styles, including Romanesque, medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco, Prague is a perfect walking city.
We immediately immersed ourselves in the wonders of the city, joining the crowds taking the 15-minute walk across the pedestrian-only Charles Bridge. We then wandered through the cobblestone streets into the old village square with its Powder, Town Hall, and Bridge Towers.
In addition to walking, we took advantage of Prague’s excellent public transportation. It’s a good idea to buy the correct tokens at your hotel, however-my family and I were “busted” in the metro station, where we had mistakenly bought children’s tickets from a fare machine. The police picked us out of the crowd and, with a brusque explanation of “baby tickets,” extracted a $13.00 fine.
One of the most fascinating tours in Prague is of the old Jewish ghetto. The town’s buildings, synagogues, and artifacts were preserved by Adolph Hitler, who intended to create an exhibit of an “extinct race.” The ghetto, which was founded in the tenth century, contains six synagogues, a Holocaust museum, and a Jewish festival museum. Twelve thousand ancient tombstones crowd the town cemetery, where approximately 100,000 Jews are buried. The visit brought strong emotions to the surface as I stood in that silent field where so many Czech Jews now lay.
After our daily excursions, we escaped the hordes of tourists visiting the city by retreating to the peace and luxury of our hotel, the Hoffmeister. The hotel is not only quiet but well-situated next to the hundreds of steps up to the Hradcany Prague castle, which is itself flanked by the Gothic-style St. Vitus’ Cathedral and the Basilica and Convent of St. George. On our final night in Prague we visited St. George, where a symphonic concert of Vivaldi’s music served as the perfect farewell to this city of beauty and history.