The ideal starting point for us would be the parking lot under Střekov Castle. The monumental ruins of a Gothic castle are found on 100 m tall rock on the right bank of the Elbe River. Some sections of the castle were renovated and a tourist restaurant was opened there in the 19th century. After we visit the castle we go down towards the Elbe River, where we take trail No. 2 towards "Libochovany". There are two ways how to enjoy the beauty and picturesqueness of the Elbe River. You may take a boat ride or you may ride your bike. We prefer riding a bike. Thanks to the No. 2 trail which follows roads reserved for bikers only and runs very near to the Elbe River, we shall enjoy our trip very much. In the first part of our trip we will discover a thermal spa and swimming pools in the village of Brnná. On the other bank of the river we will see Panenská skála (Virgin rock) and Jozefína and later the village of Dolní Zálezly with a church called Dubický Church, located on a slope high above the village.
Behind the village of Církvice we will ride on a road for a while, but must pay close attention as the road bends to the left and goes under the railway bridge, but we must continue straight, through a quarry, and then continue along the railway track all the way to the village of Libochovany. We will pass by a late-empire rectory and the Neo-Gothic Church of Nativity of the Virgin Mary until we reach a bike trail crossroad from which we continue to follow trail No. 2 all the way to Velké Žernoseky. Before we get there, we must go through the Bohemian Gate (Porta Bohemica in Latin) to a 4 km long canyon stretch of the Elbe River, which flows here between steep slopes and rock walls, sometimes falling almost vertically down. We pass under Calvary – a rocky cliff with three wooden crosses on the top, which is the most monumental part of the Czech gate. Velké Žernoseky is a village located on a distinctive southern slope on the right bank of the Elbe River. We will find here a late-Baroque chateau, the Gothic Church of St. Nicholas and folk empire brick houses. The village of Velké Žernoseky has a unique atmosphere and if you are here on a hot summer's day, you may feel like you are in a Mediterranean village. The easy part of our trip ends here. During the 18 km long ride on a flat plain we had a chance to get to know the beauty of our greatest river. Now we begin a trip that will take us between the peaks of the Czech Central Mountains. We have to undergo 12 km of a challenging climb on the southern slope, for which, however, we will be greatly rewarded be the views of the fascinating landscape of the Czech Central Mountains and by other distant views. Right at the beginning we must overcome the approximately 3 km long climb up to Kamýk, where we may get by either following the field paths marked with the blue signs or by taking a regular road. Through the village of Malíč we continue the difficult /2/ rated climb, with some places reaching /2-3/ difficulty. Behind the village we have to undergo a steep 1 km long uphill climb, with /3/ difficulty, on a field road. The picturesque Kamýk village is situated among fruit gardens and vineyards. Its landmark, the Kamýk Castle ruins is visible from great distances as it is located on top of a distinctive rock above the village. After visiting the village we continue for 1.5 kilometres uphill /2-3/ and follow trail No. 3057 until we reach the crossroad sign attached to a massive oak tree growing under Plešivec Hill. Here we take a right turn and follow the yellow sign towards "Hlinná" (3 km). After 100 m of a steep climb /3/ we are finally rewarded with a downhill ride which we will enjoy all the way down to the chapel below Hlinná village. Behind the village we encounter another demanding climb /2-3/ going through the picturesque village of Kunratice, until we reach a turn going to theVarhošť viewing tower. We will get a chance to replenish our energy a little bit during our downhill ride to Čeřeniště, where we must face our final fight with the Earth's gravity and the ambushes prepared for us by these hills. We need to get above the village to the Nad Čeřeništěm crossroad. To get there we will take either the blue or yellow signs which follow small paths or unmarked and unpaved roads. In any case we will have to undergo a very steep climb /3 or 3!/. After that our suffering will ease a little bit, as we will climb uphill, difficulty /2/, and get a chance to catch our breath and reach the crossroad sign near the village ofNěmčí. Now the climb is over and we may look forward to the 6 km long ride down through a terrain with difficulty /2-3/ or /3/ at some places, until reaching the beginning at Nová Ves. We will get there by following the red tourist signs which take the same route as the Ústecká fitness trail. However, people will be walking and riding on this fitness trail in the opposite direction than we will. This tourist sign will take us through mostly abandoned mixed forests and under an important peak called Vysoký Ostrý. Above Nová Ves a beautiful view of Ústí nad Labem and the long ridge of the Krušné Mountains can be enjoyed. Here we may leave the red signs and use the bike trail, which will take us through Nová Ves and Střekov and then back to the castle. Total length 41 km.
