Adventure 16: Outdoor and Travel Outfitters - Since 1963

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Czech Republic & Austria Bike Tour

Road Cycling in Czech Republic with DuVine Adventures

Highlights

  • 5 nights luxurious accommodation: Hranicni Zamecek, Hotel Templ, Hotel Therme Laa
  • Site visits: Valtice Chateau, Lednice Chateau, Jans Castle, Mikulov, Dolni Vestonice, Falkenstein Castle, Retz, Vienna
  • Meals: All breakfasts, two lunches and four gourmet dinners including wine
  • Wine tastings: Valnice, Mikulov, Hadres, Retz
  • Biking: Classic cycling through scenic, undiscovered countryside passing historic castles, vineyards and charming villages
  • Moderate rating averaging 30 miles per day

Full Description

From 9th century castles to 21st- century Frank Ghery architecture, our Prague - Vienna tour is one for the ages! And with 75% of your riding done on car-free bike paths, you can really concentrate on the endless beauty.

Our trans-capital voyage can’t cover all the rich culture and history of these countries, but you’ll understand much more of their important and often-forgotten contributions to Western Civilization  Exploring Bohemian forests where rebels once hid, sleeping in an immaculate 18th-century chateau, and biking along the Vltava River past Renaissance and Baroque  castles  into the UNESCO cultural center of Prague are just a few of the moments you will experience in the first days of your trip.  From Prague we will continue down to Moravia to visit the UNESCO heritage site of the Lednice Valtice palaces and the Palava Hills UNESCO biosphere.  In these vineyards, we will discover the confidential production and delicious artistry of some of the country’s best winemakers, tasting delicious wines that rarely go beyond the country’s borders- there are too few bottles to go around!    Take a little bike ride into Austria to visit beautiful Falkenstein village, or take in the gorgeous palace of Mikulov and stroll its cobbled streets.  Austria awaits us all the same: the onion-domed monasteries of Krems and Melk will frame our visit to the UNESCO- protected Wachau region with its fabulous bike trail next to the Danube surrounded by terraced mountains filled with Riesling, Pinot, and Grüner Veltliner vines.  On the final day your guides will happily take you to Vienna – another UNESCO World-Heritage Site.  Five  beautiful UNESCO sites in the course of six relaxing days must be a record of some sort!   Good food and drink, wonderful hotels and beautiful biking, with outstanding architectural and natural beauty at every turn –What could be more DuVine?

Includes:

  • All accommodations in deluxe hotels and charming country inns
  • All breakfasts, two lunches, four gourmet dinners including wine
  • New aluminum bicycle, choice of five lightweight frame sizes, light weight helmet, gel seat, handlebar bag, rear carrier rack, lock, patch kit with spare tube, pump, lock,  bell and toe straps option
  • Bilingual guide(s) who look after your every little need
  • Support vehicle that sweeps the daily bike route offering refreshments and snacks, transporting your purchases, and offering transfers to the hotel
  • Highlighted regional maps with history on each sight and options to stop along the way
  • All transportation from rendezvous to final drop-off
  • All gratuities for baggage, porters, and hotel service
  • Daily briefings. Your guides review each morning the best route-including which direction to take at the crossroads, where to turn for a flatter option and how to find that shortcut back to the hotel
  • DuVine Adventures t-shirt, water bottle and luggage tag
  • Detailed Final Documents including itinerary and hotel list
  • CD of your once-in-a-lifetime trip
  • Exceptional customer service
  • Complimentary travel coordinator available to assist you with all of your pre- & post-trip travel plans and arrangements

Excludes:

  • Airfare to/from the departure point
  • Gratuities to local guides

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1

Prague/Lednice/Valtice Loop-Our guides will greet you in Prague, where you will meet and transfer to the south of Moravia. Upon arrival enjoy a welcome drink on the chateau terrace of our fairy-tale hotel Hranicni Zamecek before setting off to explore the unique Lednice-Valtice UNESCO Cultural Landscape. After 700 years under the care of Lichtenstein noblemen, the swampy area was transformed into a carefully conceived landscape of castles and parks that combines both indigenous and exotic natural elements to create an outstanding work of human creativity. Since the complex is very large, bicycling is the recommended mode of transportation allowing easy access to an exceptional cultural site–and a good workout! A highlight of our day will be the Valtice Chateau. Besides it beautiful interiors, this imposing building conceals a wine cellar overflowing with the best wines of the Czech Republic. Here, we’ll savor our first wine tasting and enjoy an introduction to the region.Meal: DinnerDestinations visited: Prague, Lednice-Valtice cellars. Distance cycled: 23 km/14.25 miles.

Day 2

Valtice/Mikulov Via Iron Curtain-Today we will continue our explorations of this exceptional UNESCO area. At Lichtenstein’s “summer house,” the Lednice Chateau, we will find out why this area is called “The Garden of Europe” or “The Garden Paradise.” The English neogothic chateau, French gardens, a romantic minaret and Jans Castle ruins will transport you back to the 19th century. Here we find an extraordinary 800 year old castle wine cellar in the “Valtice underworld” where you will be treated to a wine tasting, and to say goodbye to the Lednice-Valtice region you will be treated to a romantic picnic lunch on the Promenade with wonderful views over this fairytale countryside! We’ll commence our ride along the former Iron Curtain Road. While biking through this wonderful landscape it is hard to believe that less than 20 years ago this area was a “no man’s land,” a virtual dead zone separating East and West. We arrive in lovely Mikulov, a small gem hidden amidst the Palava Hills. We will end our day at the unique Hotel Templ, which was created from a former synagogue that was deserted during the tragic events of WW II. If you look carefully, you will find many details of its former use. A highlight of the day will be our dinner in the formal synagogue room and a wine tasting in the cellar where the ritual mikva bath was held. Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Destinations visited: Lednice Chateau, Jans Castle, Oldest Synagogue and Cemetery in Mikulov Distance cycled: 50 km/31 miles

Day 3

Mikulov Vineyard loop-We will start our day with a visit to the old Jewish cemetery, the rare Polish synagogue and the second biggest European wine cask in the heart of the Mikulov castle. We will then bike through Palava’s UNESCO Biosphere Reservation. This small “Czech Mediterranea” or “Czech Provence” offers a great combination of biking through vineyards, karst rock formations, Old World villages and rich folklore, with good wine along the way! We continue to Pavlov, a small village with unique folklore and baroque architecture where we will stop for a wine tasting in a local winery representative of the modern trends found among local wine producers. Then we will visit the village of Dolni Vestonice, known for the rare archaeological discovery of a small, 23,000-year-old female statue. Back in Mikulov we will have dinner in a special Eat and Art Gallery, a unique place where you will eat with all your senses! Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Destinations visited: Dolni Vestonice, Pavlov, Mikulov wine museum. Distance cycled: 50 km/31 miles.

Day 4

Mikulov/Laa an der Thaya-Today we follow the Veltliner Bike Path into Austria. Our route is named for the region’s most famous wine cultivator. It will take us through the rolling terrain of the Austrian countryside. We will have a wine tasting and picnic lunch in one of the nicest jewels of Austria, the picturesque village Falkenstein, hidden under the castle ruin of the same name. The vineyard-lined Veltliner route is the most beautiful byway in this area and it leads us all the way to Poysdorf, the Austrian capital of wine. Along the way, we may stop in Herrnbaumgarten Village, famous for its poetic museum of non-senses. You’ll appreciate the high quality of Austrian wines during a sampling in Poysdorf’s local wine market. After passing the Staatz Castle ruins, we arrive in the spa town of Laa an der Thaya. Here we will enjoy its two town halls, the remains of a castle and, most importantly, the relaxing treatments in our special hotel, Therme Laa. Meals: BreakfastLunch Destinations visited: Veltlinska Bike Path, Falkenstein Castle ruins, Poysdorf, Herrnbaumgarten Village, Staatz Castle ruins. Distance cycled: 59 km/37 miles.

Day 5

Austria Loop (Spa Day)-Indulge yourself in the optional spa amenities and services today, or pedal your way into the rich mosaic of the Czech-Austrian border wine region. We start in Šatov, where we admire a uniquely painted wine cellar, well-preserved fortifications from World War II, and other curiosities. After a local wine sampling, we will bike through an old Celtic sanctuary to Retz. In this old wine town, lorded over by its famed white windmill, we have a chance to admire not only an interesting main square, but a 20 km-long labyrinth of wine cellars, which holds five million liters of this elixir! Afterwards you will bike through the village of Hadres, where we visit the most beautiful wine street of the entire region, 1.6 km long and lined with 400 cellars. Meals: Breakfast/Dinner. Destinations visited: Šatov, Retz, Hadres, or Spa day. Distance cycled: 62 km/38 miles.

Day 6

Vienna-In the morning, transfer by car to the city of opera, apfelstrudel, and the famous Viennese waltz. The capital city of Austria will be the final destination of our journey. We strongly recommend that you extend your stay in Vienna by at least one day, because the UNESCO protected city center, the Schönbrunn Castle and many other sights are too beautiful and unique to be missed. We can arrange accommodations and tour guiding services for you, as well as possible transport back to Prague.Meal: Breakfast. Destinations visited: Vienna. Distance cycled: optional morning loop ride to the castle ruin of Statz. TRIP TOTAL: 244 km/152 miles, averaging 49 km/30 miles per day. Optional longer rides available each day.

About The Operator:

DuVine Adventures

Headquarters:

Somerville, MA

Each season over 25% of our guests are repeat DuVine Travelers. It is an honor to be selected as the bike tour operator of choice by seasoned and experienced travelers like you. Everything we do-from selecting the most beautiful destinations, to providing the high level of hospitality you crave-results in a truly outstanding travel experience. With DuVine you'll bike though beautiful landscapes at your own pace, indulge in gourmet regional cuisine, sample world-class wines, and rest in charming luxury hotels. Bike, eat, drink and sleep, while our guides handle every detail, so all you have to do is enjoy your vacation DuVine style.

Exceeding Expectations

At DuVine, we have a keen eye for detail. But we aren't the type of people to settle for basics. Our guests are special, and we pride ourselves on pampering our travelers each and every day. Over the years, DuVine Adventures has forged relationships with local innkeepers and restaurateurs in the regions we travel. Our friends, the vintners, chocolate makers, and colorful locals, love to share their stories and knowledge with DuVine travelers.

Experienced and Friendly Guides

We are particularly proud of our guides whose outstanding knowledge and efforts allow us to provide first-rate adventures. Your two dedicated DuVine guides will tirelessly work to make sure your experience is nothing short of exceptional.

Our guides are seasoned travelers who are fluent in the local language and customs and experts in wine, cuisine, art, and history. If you need help reading your menu, simply ask your guide. Want to know the best place to get gifts for family back home? Our guides can advise.

Our DuVine guides will anticipate your every need on and off the bike. They will
clean your bike, offer you a fresh towel or give you cool water before you even realize you're thirsty. Don't be surprised if you see one of your guides zipping off to orchestrate a gourmet picnic in the vineyard.

Our guides are passionate about creating whimsical memories. They love to see you smile and will ensure that you are totally satisfied! Their goal is to deliver the vacation of a lifetime, which is always DuVine!

Van Support

All guided tours are fully supported by a van that sweeps the day's route. As you bike along, our support vehicle is never far off to collect your purchases, distribute refreshments or offer a ride back to the hotel.

Bikes Included

Get ready to roll as DuVine includes bikes on all of its trips. We supply top-of-the-line hybrid bicycles with just the right combination of features. Our unique handlebar bag is the perfect size to hold a sweater, wallet, camera, and other personal items. Our bikes come in five sizes for a superior fit and ultimate riding confidence and comfort. All have light aluminum frames, a wide gear range with easy shifting, and comfortable saddles for effortless riding. If you prefer your own trusty steed, feel free to bring it along.

Wine Included with Dinner

DuVine Adventures is proud of the itinerary upgrades we make each season, which are always based upon the feedback of our guests. We include savory local wines with all dinners to provide maximum enjoyment at each meal.