Little known to tourists, the Chodsko borderlands offer lovers of active leisure hundreds of kilometres of varied and superbly signposted cycle routes. Opened only last year in the heart of the Český les Protected Landscape Area, Resort Český les provides an ideal base for cycling holidays, with 52 spacious boutique rooms, a modern restaurant, a quiet terrace, a champagne lounge and a wellness area. The wooded terrain of the Český les Protected Landscape Area cuts through a mosaic of pastures, meadows, peat bogs and abandoned villages with a mysterious atmosphere. Once a strictly guarded border zone, the area now invites unhurried bike rides in the middle of unspoilt nature.
Ideas for cycling trips around Resort Český les
· The Pan-European cycle route Prague – Paris
The Pan-European cycle route, whose predecessor was the medieval Golden Road trade route, links Czechia with Germany and France and runs for 1,570 km along its full length. The Czech section leads from Prague via Plzeň to the Železná – Eslarn border crossing, only a few minutes from Resort Český les. Guests thus have any stage of the route within easy reach; one popular option is the Železná – Bělá nad Radbuzou leg, a comfortable 18 km.
· The Iron Curtain Trail
This 10,400 km cycle route connects the Barents Sea with the Black Sea and symbolises European history, natural beauty and cultural richness. The trail passes through the village of Železná, so guests can choose the length and direction of their ride themselves.
· The Bavarian-Bohemian Friendship Trail
This 90 km trail links Nabburg in the Upper Palatinate Forest with Horšovský Týn. Half of the route follows a former railway line, and cyclists can admire the beauty of unspoilt river valleys while getting a glimpse of the local history of glassmaking and blacksmithing. The trail climbs to the border near Schwarzach, where it crosses into the Czech Republic, and offers magnificent views of the surrounding countryside along the way.
· Bockl-Radweg
Often called the best cycle trail in the region, the Bockl-Radweg is ideal for families with children. It runs largely away from busy roads along a former railway line once used to haul timber, and its surface is half compacted gravel and half asphalt.
· Gifts of the forest from the grill
Alongside modern accommodation and a cosy wellness area, Resort Český les also offers cyclists culinary experiences in the modern Hvozd restaurant. As every year, the kitchen team enriches the summer menu with specialities from the OFYR grill, served on the terrace overlooking the Chodsko forests. Guests can look forward to grilled fish, skewers and beef steaks, but also to desserts and the restaurant's signature dishes made with game from the nearby Srdíčko park for fallow deer, red deer and mouflon.