Czech Republic: Prague and Elbe river

The tour begins in Prague, with embarkation on board the Florentina at 4 pm. Take your time to settle in, with an introduction to the ship, the crew, and tour plans for the week. After dinner, there’s time for a stroll over the Charles Bridge, which is particularly beautiful at night. Enjoy the stunning view of the illuminated Prague Castle.

You will receive your bike and start your first cycling tour. Set out north along the Vltava River through the green and peaceful Troja district, home to baroque Troja Castle and the Prague Zoo, to the village of Klecánky. Then continue overland, via the rural villages of Drasty and Vodochody, before returning to ride along the winding river bank to today’s destination of Kralupy.

Following breakfast, we set out on the day’s cycling tour. You’ll ride – almost always following the Vltava River– to the historic village of Nelahozeves. Here you can visit the childhood home of 19^th century composer Antonin Dvořák, who was greatly inspired by local folk music; and Nelahozeves Caslte, one of the most famous Renaissance castles in Bohemia, with its graciously restored period rooms. The tour then takes you to Veltrusý Park, with numerous sculptures and gazebos in an extensive terrain, up to the royal town of Mělník. In the early afternoon return back to the ship and enjoy the boat trip on the Elbe River to Litoměřice.

Enjoy a day at leisure discovering one of the oldest and most beautiful Czech towns, Litoměřice. Let yourself be enchanted by its vibrant and beautifully preserved Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings in the town center, partly encircled by Gothic fortifications. Sites well worth a visit include the Baroque Cathedral of St Stephen perched atop a hill, the town’s extensive network of underground tunnels, or the stately Bishop’s residence adjoining the cathedral. For those wishing to explore the legacy of WWII, an individual visit to the nearby Terezín Memorial (Theresienstadt concentration camp), is a moving and powerful experience (only 5 km/3 mi.).

For more advanced cyclists, we recommend the scenic bike tour to the castle Střekov with appealing café, idyllically situated in the narrow valley of the Elbe River. Your route will take you through the small town of Velké Žernoseky (famous Czech wine-growing region), past the Bohemian Gate – the transition from the Elbe Sandstone Mountains to the Bohemian Uplands – to Střekov Castle. From here you will have a magnificent view of the Elbe River and the surrounding mountains. Afterwards you will cycle back to Litoměřice, where your ship will anchor for the night.

Early this morning, the ship will sail to Roudnice, the starting point for today’s cycling tour. Traveling along the west bank of the Elbe, via villages Dobřín, Račice and Vliněves, we cycle southwards back to charming Mělník. Stop to enjoy the splendid panoramic view of the confluence of the Vltava and Elbe Rivers from the town’s hilltop castle. Continue cycling to today’s destination Mlčechvosty, where the ship arrives around 5 pm.

You can choose to set out on today’s bike tour via Nelahozeves, Kralupy, Vodochody, Drasty and Klecánky back to Prague or to simply relax on the ship’s  sun deck. The ship arrives around 3.30 pm, allowing for the rest of the afternoon to be dedicated to further explorations around Prague.

Take your time today to discover the right bank of the Vltava River, with its many highlights nestled around the Old Town, New Town and Jewish Quarter. Or simply meander the streets or sit in a café on the Old Town Square watching life go by. If you feel like cycling, we recommend a tour upstream along the Vltava River to Zbraslav and back. As you follow the river south, a trip to Vyšehrad Castle is worthwhile. Built around the 10^th century on a hill overlooking the river, local legend holds that this was the founding settlement that later grew into Prague.

Enjoy a last breakfast, before goodbyes and disembarkation around 10 am.