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Build-you-own Vacation
Vienna - Prague Greenways, Multi-Sport
Type:

Guided

Level: Moderate
Duration: 9 nights
Distance: 8 hours/day average
Departure Dates:

Guided: Any date from April to October; to suit private parties of 4 or more

Base Price:

Guided: €2390

Start City: Vienna
End City: Prague

TODAY'S EXCHANGE RATE
eur EUR 1.00 | USD USD 1.32
 
Description | Daily Program | Services | Dates | Price | Travel Information | Tour Operator

Description

This multi-activity program takes you along the entire Czech Greenway. It is designed to be flexible, allowing you to rediscover the most interesting, off-the-beaten-track places closed off for forty years behind the Iron Curtain, and giving you a maximum degree of freedom and independent choice. The program is founded on the principle of the self-guided tour - you enjoy yourself and we take care of the details.

The main idea is versatility:
  • You decide when and where your vacation will start
  • Each day you can travel to a different place
  • You decide how many nights to spend in a given stop
  • Each day you can choose a different means of transportation for your tour - on foot, on horseback, by bicycle, or by car, and sometimes even by canoe.

    Hiking For each day there is a different selected route, 14 miles maximum, taking you over the best parts of each Greenway area. You will be given maps, and a detailed trail guide and itinerary.

    Cycling If you choose to go bike riding on a given day, you will be provided with cycling maps wioth route highlighted, itinerary, panniers, and a bicycle to ride over a selected route up to 36 miles long.

    Horseback On a given day you may choose to look over a section of the Greenways from the saddle, maximum length 4 hours. This is the only one of the four options that returns you to your starting point at the end of the day.

    Car You can also travel by car with our driver or a rental car. You will be taken to see the most interesting towns or points of interest, and be offered the option of a short hiking route (max. 6 miles).

    Canoe In three places along the Greenway it is possible to go by canoe. The longest route is 10 miles; the easier ones you may travel by yourself, while on the harder ones you are accompanied by a trained guide.

    Schedule a day for relaxation - our program also offers a day of rest and recreation, to give you a break from your hiking, biking, canoeing, horse riding and driving activities. One day you can spend your time in a historic spa. Another day can be set aside for arts and history.
    The combination is up to you - on each given day the means of travel you pick can be different, or you can choose to go for example by bicycle or on horseback the entire trip.

    Each day's program, whatever the activity, is organized to give you ample time to explore the destination town of the day. Since the Prague / Vienna Greenway is about 250 miles long, you will be tranferred over some sections. Longer parts, such as Vienna - Breclav, will be covered by train, shorter sections by car.

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    Daily Program

    This program is designed to present the highlights of the Czech Greenway. The main point of the program is versatility. Within the limitations of time and space, you may freely alter the number and order of days and activities, and the distances to be traveled, you may add, subtract, or omit at will. The following 9-day schedule which we present here is our favorite, recommended program. The recommended choice for the day is marked with an asterisk (*).

    Day 1 Vienna - Valtice
    After arrival in Vienna you will take the one-hour train ride to Breclav, where you will be picked up by your GTC representative and driven to Valtice area, with your first overnight stay at a local hotel. You will meet with your tour coordinator, who will introduce you to the program, give you all necessary materials, and who will also be your contact person for the whole trip. If you wish to spend more time in Vienna first, it will be our pleasure to arrange for accommodation there.
    Overnight in Valtice.

    Day 2 Valtice - Mikulov
    After morning sightseeing in Valtice, the program concentrates on the unique Valtice-Lednice area, the former estate of the Liechtenstein family, which resided there from early 13th century until 1945. The area is graced by two magnificent chateaux and numerous follies, or romantic structures set in a harmonious way into the surrounding landscape. Vineyards on the slopes of mellow hills, mirror-smooth ponds, nature reserves, bird sanctuaries, storks' nests perched up on high trees and telephone poles - all these, plus excellent cooking and wine, are among the simple pleasures of life in South Moravia. Finish in Mikulov with its centuries of Jewish Heritage, synagogue and cemetery.
    Overnight in Mikulov

    Your options:
    Hiking Valtice - Lednice (15 km / 9.5 miles). Start by touring the Baroque Valtice Chateau, then follow the path through fields, vineyards and forest. Stop for lunch at the romantic Border Chateau, see the follies on the way to Lednice, and wrap up your day in the Gothic Revival Chateau of Lednice, one of the most ornate examples of this historical architectural style.
    *Cycling Lednice - Valtice - Mikulov (31 km / 19 miles). This is the recommended option for the day. It will offer some mild challenges and rewards of a beautiful view of Mikulov and its famous Holy Hill Chapel. In the afternoon you will encounter the architectural masterpieces of the area, and comfortable biking trails through flat, shady forests.
    Horseback Experiencing this romantic backdrop from the saddle will give the feeling of going back in time to the end of 18th century, as you make a round trip in the Lednice / Valtice area.
    Car Along with a round trip of the Valtice-Lednice area, you will also have the opportunity to drive through the beautiful limestone Palava Hills, and visit the historic village of Pavlov. For exercise you can take a stroll in the romantic chateau park in Lednice and climb up the Minaret to watch, from above, the herons and storks in their treetop nests.

    Day 3 Mikulov - Vranov nad Dyji
    Start the day with a transfer from Mikulov to the Podyji National Park , spreading along the border with Austria around the deep, meandering canyon formed by the Dyje River. Podyji National Park is a unique ecological system unrivaled in the Czech Republic, featuring extraordinary natural scenery. The deep, forested canyon of the Dyje and its towering cliffs are natural geologic formulations of great interest. The park itself spreads over sixty-two square kilometers. Finish your day with a tour of the magnificent Baroque chateau in Vranov, perched atop a cliff over the Dyje River. Your day's program concludes with a transfer to Telc, a jewel of the Czech Renaissance.
    Overnight in Telc.

    Your options:
    Hiking Cizov - Vranov nad Dyji (14,5 km / 9 miles) The trail starts in the village of Cizov, where you can see the last remnant of the Iron Curtain, continues to the Austrian village of Hardegg with its ancient castle and a sweeping view of the Dyje valley, and then leads back to Vranov.
    Cycling Znojmo - Vranov (42 km / 26 miles) The bike trail begins in Znojmo and leads through the entire National Park to Vranov. Challenging, hilly terrain.
    *Horseback The ride begins in the town of Znojmo and takes you along the Dyje River inside the National Park. (maximum 4 hours)
    Car After a tour of Vranov nad Dyji chateau, drive a short distance to the nearby Bitov castle, reflected in the waters of Vranov reservoir. Then drive over to Cizov to set out for a short hike to the Austrian town of Hardegg.

    Day 4 Telc - Jindrichuv Hradec
    Enjoy your morning coffee on the spacious square of Telc encircled with Renaissance gables and arcades, a UNESCO World Herritage site. Don't miss the Renaissance chateau and the ponds surrounding the old town. The atmosphere is even more suggestive in the border town of Slavonice, set amid rustic natural surroundings, for decades untouched by development.
    Overnight in Jindrichuv Hradec.

    Your options:
    Hiking Slavonvice - Nova Bystrice (22 km / 14 miles) - The trail begins in Slavonice, with its sgrafitto facades and town square, then leads past the castle of Landstejn, the site of Schiller's Highwaymen, to Nova Bystrice. To get to Jindrichuv Hradec, take the quaint narrow-gauge railway dating from 1897, which leads through the sparsely inhabited, forested area of ”Czech Canada”.
    Cycling Telc - Jindrichuv Hradec (42 km / 26 miles) - The route begins in Telc and leads you through rolling countryside, through Kunzak, to Jindrichuv Hradec.
    Horseback We will take you to the village of Studnice, where you will begin a 4-hour ride. The destination is Cervena Lhota, a magnificent chateau located on an island in the middle of a pond. This ride is not suitable for total beginners - for the less experienced there is a shorter route available.
    *Car After looking around Telc you will visit nearby Dacice, a quiet town with its Classicist chateau, then on to beautiful Slavonice, and the nearby village of Mariz, located in the former no-man's land on the Austrian border. Stare Mesto will be the starting point for a hike up to nearby Landstejn castle (4 miles). Your day's travels will be crowned by a train ride on the curious narrow-gauge railway to Jindrichuv Hradec, where the superb Renaissance chateau of the Rozemberk family and the famous Bohemian tapestry workshop are the principal points of interest.

    Day 5 Jindrichuv Hradec - Trebon
    First, take in the historic town and castle of Jindrichuv Hradec, then continue through the mosaic of ponds, woods, and meadows of the Bohemia Lake District and its capital, Trebon, a medieval city whose walls are still largely intact. The only way to enter the historical core is through a gate in the old fortifications, crossing a moat which is a part of a unique water regulation system dating back to the 16th century.
    Overnight in Trebon.

    Your options:
    *Hiking Trebon - Kojakovice (13 km / 9 miles) - After arriving in Trebon, hike the trail around a great fishpond called Svet, an engineering wonder of the 16th century. The trail leads you through some of the most idyllic, pastoral countryside you'll see anywhere to Kojakovice with its fascinating village museum.
    Cycling Jindrichuv Hradec - Trebon (30 km / 19 miles) - Take in the historic town and castle of Jindrichuv Hradec (the third biggest castle in the Czech Republic), then start cycling in the beautiful Bohemian Lake District full of lake and wetlands. You will cycle through the village of Jemcina with a hunting lodge to the medieval town of Trebon.
    Horseback The route leads around Trebon's rustic lakes and ponds; its length can be varied according to the wishes of the riders.
    Car After sightseeing in Jindrichuv Hradec, you will visit the magic chateau of Cervena Lhota, then on to Straz nad Nezarkou, the home of the Metropolitan opera singer Emma Destin. The drive ends in Trebon, from which you can set out on a short walk by the fishpond called Svet as far as the Schwartzenberg Tomb, go for a swim, and then walk back to Trebon.
    On water Canoeing on the river Luznice starts in Suchdol nad Luznici, and ends in the village of Majdalena. The route is about 7 miles long; basic canoeing skills are necessary.

    Day 6 Trebon - Cesky Krumlov
    Cesky Krumlov, the jewel of South Bohemia, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, universally recognized as a unique part of the architectural heritage. The old town holds an unequaled ensemble of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque structures, virtually intact and well restored. Among the attractions are the second largest castle complex in the Czech Republic and the oldest working Baroque threatre in Europe, and an open air theatre with revolving auditorium.
    Overnight in Cesky Krumlov.

    Your options:
    Hiking Cesky Krumlov - Klet - Zlata Koruna (16 km / 10 miles) - The route from Cesky Krumlov leads over the highest peak of the Blansky Forest - Klet, with a restaurant, a look-out tower and an astronomical observatory. our destination today is Zlata Koruna, famous for its monastery founded in 1263 by the Premysl King Otakar II. Then go back to Cesky Krumlov.
    Cycling Trebon - Cesky Krumlov (52 km / 33 miles) - Take in the historic town of Trebon before biking past lakes and through forests to Cesky Krumlov.
    Horseback You will be transferred to the horse stables. You can pick your own level of challenge for the day in the saddle. Your destination is the Zlata Koruna monastery.
    Car From Trebon drive to Ceske Budejovice (Budweiss) famous for its world class beer. The next stop is the fairy-tale like Tudor Gothic chateau of Hluboka. Visit the monastery in Zlata Koruna, then continue to Krasetin to take the cable car to the top of Klet Mountain.
    *Canoeing Cesky Krumlov - Zlata Koruna (10 km / 6 miles) - You can take a canoe to cover the distance from Cesky Krumlov to Zlata Koruna. Return to Cesky Krumlov by train.

    Day 7 Cesky Krumlov
    The recommended program gives you ample time to enjoy all that Cesky Krumlov has to offer within one day.
    Overnight in Cesky Krumlov.

    Day 8 Cesky Krumlov - Prague
    On this day you will continue your activities in Central Bohemia. The Sazava River valley is the main feature of this region.
    Overnight in Prague

    Your options:
    Hiking Kameny Privoz - Davle (12,5 km / 8 miles) - The route leads through the Sazava River canyon on one of the most popular hiking trails in the Prague region. It leads through a beautiful valley with cliffs and woods, complete with romantic hiking chalets built in the style of the Canadian North.
    Cycling Tynec nad Sazavou - Prague (28 km / 18 miles) - Cycle from Tynec nad Sazavou to Pruhonice with its Renaissance chateau and park. Pruhonice is the center of botany and horticulture in the Czech Republic.
    Horseback Tour of the chateau of Konopiste, one of the most popular castlesin the Czech Republic. It once belonged to Franz Ferdinand d'Este, the Emperor of Austria.
    Car The route begins with a tour of Konopiste chateau. Next stop is Karlstejn, founded by Czech King Karel IV and once home of the Czech crown jewels. The day ends with a short walk through the beautiful Sazava River valley.
    *Canoeing Sazavou River Valley (16 km / 10 miles) - Canoe or kayak trip down the Sazava River canyon. The highlight is the section from Tynec to Pikovice - in a sturdy canoe. This small section of white water can be easily negotiated by a beginner with the help of a guide. Experienced paddlers can go by kayak in more challenging areas.

    Day 9 Prague
    Coming to Prague from the quiet, rustic countryside is like entering a different world. This living, changing, active city combines the feeling of history with a uniquely modern world view.

    Prague is one of the great cities of the world, a sprawling metropolis of towers, palaces, parks, and museums, of galleries, exhibitions, and trade fairs. It is warm, well lived-in city of shops, restaurants, pubs, and cafés. Centuries-old buildings in Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque line narrow, winding streets, interrupted by some of the most daring Art Noveau architecture of the century. Somehow it all seems to fit together. In Prague, the past and the future are in harmony, one complementing the other. When you enter Prague, even for a day, you become more aware of your own small place in the flow of history. This awareness will return to you later as a memory - an old stone wall, a rainy street, a green park lawn in the sunshine, a soaring tower. Hidden in Prague, somewhere, you may accidentally find something of the meaning of life.





























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    Services
    Guided:

  • Professional bilingual guide
  • Accommodation in select hotels and pensions (8 nights)
  • Support van
  • Buffet breakfast and dinner
  • Luggage transfer during the entire trip
  • English route descriptions
  • Detailed cycling or hiking maps
  • Town maps
  • Quality TREK bike rental, horse and canoe rental
  • Welcome briefing upon arrival
  • Guided tours at chateaux, castles,museums and other select attractions
  • Special events, including wine tasting and picnics
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    Dates
    Guided: Any date from April to October; to suit private parties of 4 or more
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    Tour Price (per person, double occupancy)
    Guided:
    €2390: Tour package
    €400: Single supplement

    Discount for parties of 8 or more: €300 per person
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    Travel Information

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    Tour Operator (click to view name)
    BikeToursDirect does not operate any tours but represents all companies whose tours are listed on this site. You can book this tour through BikeToursDirect at the same prices you'd pay booking directly through the tour company. Book this tour by clicking on "Book Trip" button below, or contact us for help planning your tour.
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