CZ, Rakovník: By Bike To The Region of Hop Farms

Today's beautiful cycling trip begins in the village of Kněževes, northwest of Rakovník. We park here on the square and sit on our bikes. In the middle of the village is the church of St. Jakub Větší and a small lake with water lilies next to it. We go to Chrášťany on a field path through fields with hops. Through the forest, after crossing the former Lišany stop, we turn right onto the green sign and through Olešná along the cycle path we reach Rakovník. We will choose one of the pubs with a garden on the square and sit for a while. In the meantime, we can admire the beautifully landscaped Hussite Square with a Baroque Marian column, where in the past a procession gathered during pilgrimages to the Holy Mountain. The symbol of Rakovník is the two Gothic gates of the medieval fortifications, the High Gate and the Prague Gate. These are called Selka because of their large shape. We can also see the church of St. Bartholomew, two ancient wooden bell towers and a Baroque palace with historical and natural history collections of the T. G. Masaryk Museum.

Then we go out of the city down the alley against the stream. We go along the railway line along the Greenway Berounka - Střela trail along the cycle path to Senomat and Šanov. In Senomaty you can stop at the Gothic church of St. Lawrence and see next to standing a remarkable wooden bell tower. In these places we will pass the reconstructed chateau hotel Chateau Šanov. Then through a picturesque small village called Řeřichy to Kletečná, Sosena to Kosobod. From here we continue downhill following the blue tourist sign to the road and railway line. We leave the blue sign at the crossroads on the border of the forest and the field in front of the village of Bedlno, where we turn right. West of the village there is a romantic quarry with a pond and behind it it is possible to visit the lookout tower Tobiášův vrch. But we are moving on. As soon as we leave the grove, a surprise awaits us in the landscape in the form of a hidden prison Oráčov. From here, the path is easy and we don't have to tread so much. We come along the road through Kolešovice, where we are greeted again by other hop gardens to Kněževes, where we have a parked car.

If you like nature and another unusual landscape, we recommend this area. You will surely be satisfied and you can tailor the bike trip to yourself and set off from Rakovník train station, for example. The big advantage is that you will not meet almost any tourists in this area.

GPS: 50°06'17.1"N 13°44'00.4"E

Text and photos: Veronika Kocmanová