Wine trails in Central Bohemia
Wine trails are quite popular in the Czech Republic. They are a sought-after destination mainly due to the possibility of connecting hiking with the landscape dotted with vineyards and the possibility of tasting along the way. Most of them are located in South Moravia, but Bohemia also has its famous wine-growing localities. You can visit two interesting themed trails in Central Bohemia. They can be cycled or walked and are easy to follow, so they are suitable for both sportsmen and recreational trips. Good wine and interesting stops related to winemaking and viticulture are a matter of course.
Wine-growing Bohemia is divided into the Mělník and Litoměřice wine sub-regions. The Mělník wine region is mostly located in Central Bohemia and its main centres are the towns historically associated with wine - Mělník and Kutná Hora. And it is in them and their surroundings that you can look for these two wine trails.
Kutná Hora Wine Trail
The first of its kind in Bohemia is the Kutná Hora Wine Trail, which is primarily designed as a marked educational wine trail. It is less than 6 km long, so it can be comfortably walked and connects the historic centre of Kutná Hora with a seven-hectare vineyard under the Sukov hill. The route starts at Palacký Square in Kutná Hora and leads to the vineyard under Sukov Hill on the northern edge of the town. On the way through the vineyards, you will have a beautiful view of the town of Kutná Hora and gradually return to the town centre.
Although winemaking has a centuries-old tradition in the Kutná Hora region, the oldest record of it is in the Chronicle of Kosmas from 1101, the modern renewal of the vineyards below Sukov began only in 1977. Tramín red and Svatovavřinecké varieties thrive best on its medium-heavy, stony-sandy soils. The company Vinné sklepy Kutná Hora is trying to resurrect the lost glory of the local winery, whose entire operation is certified with the BIO label and is the only winery in the Czech Republic and Slovakia to hold the prestigious biodynamic DEMETER certification. You can taste the wines in the beautiful premises of the Baroque monastery of St. Voršila, where the company has its headquarters and where the trail ends. Other wineries in Kutná Hořej are Víno Hanuš, Žáček Winery and Kocián Winery.
Cycling around Mělník
The second trail, called Polabská, combines the Mělník and Litoměřice wine sub-regions. Both of these wine regions can be combined in a single bicycle tour starting in Mělník and ending in Velké Žernosky, just outside Litoměřice. The Polabská trail itself is mainly intended for cyclists, but those who would like to take a walk will also find it to their liking.
Mělník is the capital of the Czech wine industry and we can thank Charles IV. You can visit the Regional Museum with a wine exhibition and tasting room, visit the historic wine cellars at Mělník Chateau, or go to one of the wineries, e.g. Mělník winery Kraus, founded by prof. Ing. Vilém Kraus CSc., the father of winemaking in the Czech Republic. Then there are the wineries Bettina Lobkowicz, Vondrák, Chateau Mělník, Školní statek Mělník, the Wine Centre of the ČZU and many others. From the unique viewpoint in front of the chateau you can see the Říp River, Prague and a large part of the Bohemian Central Highlands in clear weather. And just below you are the legendary St. Ludmila Vineyards, whose beauty can be appreciated especially from the confluence of the Elbe and Vltava rivers. The cycling path below Mělník itself runs, with a few exceptions, along the plain along the banks of the Elbe. It is very comfortable and paved, so it is an ideal trip for holiday cyclists or families with children.
Other stops, however, outside the territory of Central Bohemia, can be important Czech Roudnice nad Labem or Litoměřice, and the path along the river will take you to the wine-growing village of Velké Žernoseky. This route, with a total length of about 55 km, on which you can learn about the history and present of Czech winemaking, is exceptionally one-way and thus does not form a complete circuit. However, you can easily and quickly get back to Mělník from Žernosec or Litoměřice railway station by train.
