As we leave the Hotel Modra Ruze, a lovely hotel in the centre of Prague, the hotel has limited parking so it is best if you book a parking space when you book your room, the parking is secure at the rear of the hotel. The hotel like many others in the area, offers Bed & Breakfast along with evening meals in their restaurant, but with the vast choice of different food establishments around, the choice is yours.

I have tagged six other hotels in the area, but if you use the MRA hotel tab, it will take you through to the Booking.com page so that you can make your own choice.

As we now head out of the city of Prague, the first point of interest we come across is the Museum of the Capital City of Prague, RP No 3. On your right-hand side, located in the bustling city centre of Prague in the business district of Florenc is the museum. The museum itself is a bit hidden as it is situated under a massive highway built by the Communists, however, it is worth finding as it contains a super model of Prague that represents Old Town and Lesser Town from 1826 – 1837. This large, whimsical model is so intricate and detailed that you could at once imagine yourself living amongst its cobblestone streets and historical houses with their lovely facades. If you wish to find out more about Prague, also known as the Mother City then a trip to the Museum of the Capital City of Prague is a good place to start. The main building of the museum is an architectural object registered in the list of cultural monuments of the Czech Republic. It was built directly for the Museum of the Royal City of Prague in the years 1896-1898 in the Neo-Renaissance style according to the designs of the architect Antonín Balšánek. The permanent collection will help you to realize the history of the city that has been the political, cultural and economic centre for its people for over 1,000 years. Prague, one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations deserves the recognition it receives as one of the most beautiful places you will ever lay your eyes on.

Moving on to RP No 4, this is a fuel stop if needed, the road runs along the river Vltava, this river is 430.3 kilometres (267.4 mi) long and drains an area 28,090 square kilometres (10,850 sq mi) in size, over half of Bohemia and about a third of the Czech Republic's entire territory. As it runs through Prague, the river is crossed by 18 bridges (including the Charles Bridge) and covers 31 kilometres (19 mi) within the city. Czech legend has it that construction began on Charles Bridge at 5:31am on 9 July 1357 with the first stone being laid by Charles IV himself. This exact time was very important to the Holy Roman Emperor because he was a strong believer in numerology and felt that this specific time, which formed a palindrome (1357 9/7 5:31), was a numerical bridge, and would imbue Charles Bridge with additional strength. The bridge was completed 45 years later in 1402. Charles Bridge is a stone Gothic bridge that connects the Old Town and Lesser Town (Malá Strana). It was actually called the Stone Bridge (Kamenný most) during its first several centuries. It is said that egg yolks were mixed into the mortar to strengthen the construction of the bridge. A total of 30 Baroque statues began to be placed along either side of Charles Bridge in the 17th century. Now many of them are copies and the originals can be seen in the Prague Museums. The most popular statue is probably the one of St. John of Nepomuk, a Czech martyr saint who was executed during the reign of Wenceslas IV, by being thrown into the Vltava from the bridge. The plaque on the statue has been polished to a shine by countless people having touched it over the centuries. Touching the statue is supposed to bring good luck and ensure your return to Prague.

As we head further away from the centre of Prague, we move into the countryside and the central Bohemian region, The Central Bohemian Region is the largest administrative region in Czechia. It is divided into the following districts (okresy): Benešov, Beroun, Kladno, Kolín, Kutná Hora, Mělník, Mladá Boleslav, Nymburk, Praha-východ, Praha-západ, Příbram, Rakovník. The administrative centre of the region is Prague. However, Prague itself does not belong to the Central Bohemian Region, because it forms a region of its own.

As we arrive at RP No 12, we approach the Kokorinsko national park. This area is surrounded by forests and many interesting rock formations, the first being Skalní obydlí - Rock dwellings in Lhotka near Mělník. This rock dwelling in Lhotka is one of the many rock dwellings in the Kokořín region, which belong to the longest inhabited and most interesting. The last inhabitant, Mrs. Holubová, lived here until 1982. It is a kind of whole farm crammed into a sandstone block on the edge of the village. Not only rock flats are carved into the sandstone rock blocks , but also farm spaces (sheds, barns and sheds, cellars, etc.). The room is indicated by a whitewashed outer wall with two windows , one entrance door leading to the hall and the other to the barn, behind which it is possible to descend into the cellar. Upstairs is a granary, lit by a pair of windows. The complex is completed by the buildings of the former butcher's shop and another small farm building. This rock dwelling is a proof unusual construction method and the frequent way in which poor people dealt with their housing.

Just past RP No13, is Harasov lake, this is a gorgeous natural lake where you can swim and sunbathe on the beaches around. What is really nice about this place is the once beautiful hotel on the shore of the lake that fell into ruins over time. Recently, renovation started. So, at some point in the near future you can expect a restaurant and accommodation with an amazing view of the lake.


Our first coffee stop RP No 14, this is just off the main road at the junction to your right.

All refreshed we head off north again and pass the main landmark of the area, Kokořín Castle RP No 15. The castle is actually hidden in a deep forest, in the middle of a nature reserve on a steep rocky outcrop above the Kokořín Valley, so if you would like to visit it you need to follow touristic marks that will navigate you up the hill for the first sight at the beauty of this medieval gem. Once you cross the wooden bridge from the forest to the medieval courtyard, you will feel like you’re in the real fairy-tale. climb a medieval tower where you have an amazing view of the endless deep forest. It was built in the first half of the 14th century by order of Hynek Berka z Dubé. It was heavily damaged during the Hussite Wars and stood in ruins until the reconstruction campaign of 1911–1918. It was nationalized in 1948 and has been designated a national cultural landmark since 2001.

Still heading north, we start to run along the region border of the Liberec Region, this is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the northernmost part of its historical region of Bohemia. It is named after its capital Liberec. The region shares international borders with Germany and Poland. Domestically the region borders the Ústí nad Labem Region to the west, the Central Bohemian Region to the south and the Hradec Králové Region to the east.
RP No 20, gives you a chance to pop off route to visit the Muzeum Bělá pod Bezdězem, the predecessor of the Běl chateau was a fortress from the beginning of the 14th century. During the Hussite wars, the fortress was demolished and a Renaissance chateau was built on its foundations in the second half of the 16th century. Its construction continued in the early 17th century and resulted in a unique architecturally valuable mansion with two-story arcades decorated with frescoes. The chateau acquired its present appearance by reconstruction carried out in the years 1689 to 1691. However, the Běl chateau did not become the permanent seat of the nobility - the lordship's officials lived here and at the end of the 18th century a textile factory was even established here. In 1855, a forestry school settled in the chateau, which lasted until the beginning of the 20th century, when the chateau premises were converted into flats. Since 1939, the chateau has housed a museum and the entire chateau complex is undergoing gradual reconstruction.

Lunch stop at RP No 26 is in the little village of Bakov and Jizerou, and just past the square on which is situated the Bakov and Jizerou municipal office with its figurines of workers on the building, the building overlooks the Plague Column of the Holy Trinity from 1727, which is the work of Josef Jiří Jelínek. In the past Bakov and Jizerou, was famous for products made of reeds and orobine, e.g., slippers, bags, pigeons (tropical helmets named after Emil Holub), mats and many others.

We now start our return journey towards Prague, at RP No 39 we cross the Bohumil Hrabala Bridge, Bohumil Hrabala Bridge which crosses the river Elbe, was named after Bohumil Hrabal, 28 March 1914 – 3 February 1997 who was a Czech writer, often named among the best Czech writers of the 20th century. The River Elbe RP No 38, - The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia, then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 kilometres northwest of Hamburg. Its total length is 1,094 km (680 mi).

After the Bohumil Hrabala Bridge, we arrive at our final coffee stop RP No 40 in Přerov nad Labem where you have a choice of two establishments to choose from, before we cross back over the Central Bohemian Region border into the outskirts of Prague.

There is a petrol stop after 139 miles RP No 45 and this is just before you end your trip, but there are many others along the route for those of you who have the smaller size tanks.

Prague has many sightseeing opportunities on and off the bike, enjoy your trip and maybe have a stroll around some of the highlights such as Old Town Square with its Town Hall and Astronomical Clock, and St Vitus Cathedral.

A word of caution about this route, in Central Prague there are trams and they tend to be harder to stop than a car, so beware of your position at junctions, also along the route there are several un-gated level crossings, each crossing is clearly marked on the road with signage. There is a short 1.6 km (1 mile) section of cobblestone road at RP 19, caution required if wet.

Starting point: Hotel Modra Ruze Central Prague
End point: Hotel Modra Ruze Central Prague