Cycling around Mělník
Beautiful vineyards, great wine and wine-growing villages can be found in our country, especially in South Moravia, but not only there. It would be a big mistake to forget Bohemia. Two of the six wine sub-regions - Mělník and Litoměřice - are located here. And when it comes to beautiful wine cycling experiences, this route is sure to excite you.
Route Information
We will combine the two mentioned wine regions into a single tour starting in Mělník and ending in Velké Žernosky, just outside Litoměřice.
Be sure to visit the historic wine cellars at the Mělník Chateau
Mělník has been a town of wine since the 10th century and we can thank Charles IV, who made it the capital of the Czech wine industry. You can visit the Regional Museum which has a great wine exhibition. Be sure to visit the historic wine cellars at the Mělník Chateau. From the unique viewpoint in front of the chateau you can see Říp, Prague and a large part of the Bohemian Central Highlands in clear weather. And just below you is the legendary St. Ludmilla Vineyard, whose beauty can be appreciated especially when viewed from the confluence of the Elbe and Vltava rivers.
The cycling path below Mělník itself runs, with a few exceptions, on flat ground along the banks of the Elbe. It is very comfortable and paved path, so it is an ideal trip for holiday cyclists or families with children. In Račice you will cycle along the water canal where our and the world's watermen train, then you will reach a beautiful pine forest.
The next stop, Roudnice nad Labem, is historically one of the most important Czech wine towns. The Lobkowicz family is one of the largest producers of Czech wine to this day.
Along the river (you have a choice which side of the Elbe you will travel on, we recommend staying on the left bank) and you will reach Litoměřice.
Litoměřice not only has a beautiful historical square and a number of Gothic and Renaissance buildings in the centre, but also a glorious wine-making past - after Prague, it was the largest Czech wine-growing town in the Middle Ages. We can get to know all of this better in the impressive exposition of the Sanctuary of Czech winemaking at the Litoměřice chateau.
The path along the river will then take us to Velké Žernoseky
The path along the river will then take us to Velké Žernoseky. With a bit of exaggeration we can say that anyone who has not tasted the local Mopr (one of the names for the variety of Moravian Muscat), does not know what a great Czech wine is. You can remedy this in the Žernosecká winery located in the local picturesque chateau.
This route, on which you can learn about the history and present of Czech winemaking, is, exceptionally, one-way - it does not form a complete circuit.
However, you can easily and quickly get back to Mělník from Žernoseky or Litoměřice railway station by train. You won't regret it and you will be happy to come back!