Riding through Prague - we finally see the charm: Camp Matyas, Vrane den Vlantou to Veltrusy - Exploring Germany, Czech Republic and beyond... on our Recumbent Tandem - CycleBlaze
Riding through Prague - we finally see the charm: Camp Matyas, Vrane den Vlantou to Veltrusy
We had a lovely time at Camp Matyas and met very nice people there, including the family who run it. Two sisters and their families as well as their parents make Camp Matyas a low key and special place. This campground is highly recommended. A family from Latvia were in the cabin next to us. We enjoyed visits from their dog and the father became increasingly curious about our bike. The family spoke no English. However, many smiles and gestures did the trick. It boded well for the day that a paved bike trail led us all the way to Prague. We know that hills are coming later today, but for now, the path is smooth and flat. Today's ride takes us north to Prague and will follow a bike route along the river circling around the busy parts instead of going through the congested centre of town. Arriving in Prague by bike along the river is a wonderful way to appreciate the city. We found ourselves enjoying what we saw. Touts didn't bother us. In fact, one came up to me and was insistently gesturing to me. I indicated that I wasn't interested in what he was offering. He laughed, pointed to our flag and bike with a big thumbs up and said "Canada!!". Coming through very old and narrow tunnels we marvelled that the city had painted bike signs on the tram lane. The narrow stone arches of the tunnel were barely wide enough for the tram and the road was winding and busy. We opted to take the narrow sidewalk when we could. The bike path in to Prague hugged the water's edge and provided beautiful views of the architecture, bridges and castle. As we rode under Charles' Bridge, we could see that the crowds were huge - we were glad we were below it and away from the chaos. After the Charles Bridge, we elected to take the alternative and longer route which takes an eastern loop around the right side of the Vlatva River out of Prague. It is mostly traffic free and avoids the Letna Hill. This led us past the Zoo and to the white water kayaking training facility for the Czech (and other countries) Olympic Team. We sat and watched these skilled athletes master the rapids. It was an international group - Czech, Hungarian, Russian, etc. Weather in Czech Republic is always unpredictable. The weather changed unexpectedly and suddenly from sun to black clouds to a fierce wind and downpour. We took shelter under a bridge and waited it out. As the winds blew away the black clouds, the rest of the day was sunny and clear. Like at home on the coast. keep your rain gear handy as you never know when you'll need it. Another area of the day's route that offers alternate routing is at Klecanky. Initially we thought we'd try the rough surfaced single track along the water - but single track is an exaggeration. So, we turned around and chose the switchbacks up the side of the hill(cliff) at Husinec. Once again, I am grateful to have the Garmin as there was no signage and the GPS kept us on track. It would be nasty to climb one of these hills and miss a turn. Once we reached the top it was great to cruise along at the top for a few km. Eventually, the road made its way back to the river's edge with a series of downhills. The river here is quite dramatic with soaring cliffs alongside the shore. We feel at times like we are on the Danube again. Found a campground at Veltrusy as our stops at the Kayaking Facility and the hour waiting out the wind/rain put us a bit behind. Originally we had hoped to camp in Melnik, but neither of us feel like going up another hill today. As we approached the campground at Veltrusy, we wondered if it was closed down as it had a neglected and run down look. The woman kindly helped us find a spot and explained that they had been badly impacted by the flooding last spring. The waters had risen 7.5 metres and covered all of their buildings. This explains the empty pads where buildings had once been as well as the buildings which had been pushed quite a distance and were still sitting haphazardly in odd spots. She gave us a cabin for 400 kronur (16 euros) with a nice view of the river. Despite the obvious damage created by the flood, we suspect that this campground has seen rough years for some time. Barry rode to the village to get groceries while I got us settled. Basically next door, he chanced upon an extraordinary sight, the Veltrusy Palace (Zamek Veltrusy). This baroque summer palace is set on beautiful grounds and provides a stark contrast to our humble digs. A good end to an interesting day.
Lee from Korea is also on a bike tour. He was so excited to see our bike as he had never seen one like it. He wants us to visit him when we cycle in his country,
A view to Prague Castle from the path along the river passing under one of the many historic bridges. We really liked it when we could ride at the water's edge and not with traffic.
Geary's buildings are always jaw dropping and eye catching. We last saw his work in Dusseldorf. This grouping was especially striking as they were built alongside historic neo classical buildings.
