Prague – Dresden by Bike: Tips From a Lifelong Cyclist

If you’re planning a short holiday and you want to discover places from behind the bars we have a tip for a great, but yet very simple bike trip Prague – Dresden.

This bike ride is around 250 km long but is very flat and the majority of the time you will cycle on dedicated cycling paths. There is a system of long-distance cycle routes called EuroVelo. Prague – Dresden follows route number seven.

You start following the river Moldau north on its right bank. The first town on the way is Kralupy Nad Vltavou, from there you’ll continue towards the beautiful castle Veltrusy from where you continue to Mělník where Moldau flows into the Elbe.

If you´re not in a rush we recommend climbing up to the castle from where there is a beautiful view down to the rivers. This is also a great opportunity for a lunch or coffee break if you fancy a restaurant over cycling path food stands.

The next stretch between Mělník and Litoměřice is around 50 km long and follows the river via other historical towns Roudnice and Terezín.

Terezín is worth stopping. The town is a former military fortress composed of the citadel and adjacent walled garrison town. The town center is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. Terezin is most infamously the location of the Nazi’s notorious Theresienstadt Ghetto.

From here it’s not far toLitoměřice. This stretch goes NorthWest and is beautiful in the summer afternoons. Litoměřice is a bigger town and is a good place to spend a night, you can choose from a variety of hotels or even camps.

Another approximately 50 km long stretch goes from Litoměřice do Děčín. Until this point everywhere you look you see lowlands surrounding the river, now comes the change, you are entering a valley in which you will spend the next 50 km or so, but don´t worry, the path still follows the rivers so there is no big climb ahead.

Once you arrive at Děčín, you’re close to the border. The hills surrounding Děčín are known as a great climbing area, so if you’re into rock climbing it’s definitely worth a stop. Once you pass the city, you´re entering the largest sandstone valley in Europe.

Everywhere you look at this point, you’ll see beautiful rock formations, the cycling path is quiet, there are no cars on this side of the river and it stays this way all the way to Bad Schandau. From there you’re slowly leaving the valley and in front of you is the last town before Dresden, Pirna.

Pirna is a historic town with a well-preserved square. I highly recommend stopping there for a coffee. After Pirna, it’s just 20 km to Dresden, The cycling path will lead you straight into the old town.

At the time of writing, there are several trains connecting Dresden with Prague. On Sunday, you can take the train at 11:10, 13:10, and 15:10. The train goes two and half hours and costs 350 Czk. Just remember as we mentioned in one of the previous articles.

You need to have a reservation for your bicycle to get on the train. In the summer season, it’s recommended to do so 24h before the train’s departure.

 

 

About Me

I’m a lifelong cyclist who runs a small independent bike shop in Prague’s Žižkov. My riding abilities range from mountain biking all the way to BMX. I spent several years living in one of Europe’s cycling capitals, Copenhagen. Together with my friend I attempted to cycle from Europe to Japan and had to stop due to the pandemics.

Those two months on the bike gave me an understanding of bike-packing. If you’re new to cycling, looking for cycling partners, or need anything related to cycling, you can text me or stop by my shop Pavé Cycles for coffee or a public bike ride.