Vienna to Prague: Walking the Czech Greenways, Austria and Czech Republic

The Trip

The focus of this trip is the Czech Greenways, a network of more than 250 miles of trails and country roads along centuries-old salt, silver, and amber trade routes that were closed off for 40 years behind the Iron Curtain. Traveling along the Greenways is like taking a trip back in time to the days of medieval towns, baroque castles, and Renaissance squares, all in an excellent state of preservation.

Our trip will begin in Vienna, the romantic capital of Austria, nestled on the banks of the Danube River. It will end, 13 days later, in Prague, the “jewel in the crown” of central Europe and widely recognized as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. 

On most days we will walk through deciduous forest, over rolling hills, across meadows, and through small towns. We will learn about local history and culture by visiting many of the well-preserved chateaus and castles along the way, as well as an archaeology museum, and touring the historic quarters of Vienna and Prague on foot. We will hike two days with an ornithologist/botanist. We will spend our evenings enjoying the local pubs, perhaps sampling the fine Czech beer, and talking about various aspects of Czech history and culture with our local contacts.

Day 1: Plan to arrive in Vienna by early to mid-afternoon. We will provide instructions for getting from the airport to our Vienna hotel, where your trip leader will be waiting to meet you. At 5 p.m. we will meet for introductions and a brief overview of the trip. We will go out for our Welcome Dinner at a nearby restaurant. Overnight: Vienna. 

Day 2: In the morning, we meet our Czech guide who will accompany us for our entire trip and together we enjoy a city tour, taking in the impressive buildings of the Ringstrasse: the State Opera, the Burgtheater, and the Hofburg, the imperial palace of the Hapsburgs. In the afternoon, we board the U-bahn (metro) for the short trip to Schönbrunn Palace, the magnificent royal summer residence of the Hapsburgs on the outskirts of Vienna. This palace of nearly 1,500 rooms was completed in the early 18th century as a smaller model of Versailles and is surrounded by a zoological and botanical park. Overnight: Vienna.

Day 3: We board our private bus for the trip from Vienna to the Czech Republic and spend the day in the Lednice-Valtice Area, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the former estate of the Liechtenstein family. We tour the Gothic Revival Lednice Chateau and hike five miles through the woods with a local ornithologist. Along the way, we also see unique "follies," romantic structures such as a faux Arc de Triomphe set harmoniously into the surrounding landscape. Overnight: Mikulov.

Day 4: We drive to a trailhead below the ruined castle of Divci Hrady. From there we hike seven miles with an ornithologist through the historic wine region of Pálava to Pavlov, home to a museum of archaeology. The ancient Venus of Vestonice, estimated to be 26,000 years old, was discovered near here. Upon our return to Mikulov, our guide takes us on a walking tour of the town, including the crypt of the Dietrichstein family, as well as a synagogue and Jewish cemetery where the oldest tombstones date to 1605. Overnight: Mikulov.

Day 5: Today we drive to the village of Cizov to see the last remnants of the Iron Curtain, then walk seven miles to Vranov. Along the way, we stop at an overlook of the Austrian town of Hardegg with its ancient castle and a sweeping view of the River Dyje Valley. The bus will meet us at the end of the hike and transfer us to the historic town of Znojmo where we will stay for the night. Overnight: Znojmo.

Day 6: This morning we’ll visit a baroque castle in the town of Vranov then continue our drive to Telč. After lunch, we’ll enjoy a 5-mile hike in the lovely countryside around Telč. Overnight: Telč.

Day 7: This morning we tour the Telč Chateau and the town of Telč. The afternoon will be free for relaxation and enjoying the Telc square, one of the largest and most picturesque in the Czech countryside. Overnight: Telč.

Day 8: We transfer by bus to the town of Slavonice, founded in the 12th century and famous for its sgraffito facades and local pottery workshop. Sgraffito is a Renaissance technique that uses two layers of plaster of contrasting color applied on the wall. While still wet, the top layer is partially scraped off to create various designs. We meet a representative of a non-profit organization focused on local heritage to learn more about the town. We hike six miles from Slavonice to Stare Mesto pod Lanstejnem and visit the ruins of Castle Landstejn. Our bus then takes us to Jindrichuv Hradec, home of the third-largest castle complex in the Czech Republic. Overnight: Jindrichuv Hradec.

Day 9: In the morning, we tour the historic town and castle of Jindrichuv Hradec and visit the Regional Museum, home of the largest mechanical crèche in the world with several thousand figures. It's quite spectacular and beautiful! Later in the morning, we drive to Kojakovice, where we visit the Village Museum, which highlights the history of common people in the area and traces emigration routes to North America. We walk seven miles around the man-made lake of Svet, an engineering wonder of the 16th century, to Trebon, a fortified 13th-century medieval town and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Overnight: Trebon.

Day 10: Our bus takes us to Český Krumlov, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the "jewel of South Bohemia," with the second-largest castle complex in the Czech Republic. Overnight: Český Krumlov.

Day 11: We begin with a walking tour of the city including the intriguing and unique Baroque Theater in the castle. Then our bus takes us to the base of Klet, the tallest peak in the region (3,200 feet). We take a chairlift to the top of Klet, enjoy a local lunch at the restaurant there, and take in the great vistas before hiking five miles back to Český Krumlov. Overnight: Český Krumlov.

Day 12: Today we drive north to Tresbin and hike seven miles through the Sazava River Valley past vacation cottages owned by people from Prague escaping the summer heat and indulging their “Wild West” fantasies. After our hike, we drive on to Prague. Overnight: Prague.

Day 13: We begin the day with a city tour and a walk through the historic center of Prague, known as the Old Town. We visit the Prague Castle, Old Town Square, the Town Hall, and the Jewish Quarter. Our afternoon is free to enjoy the many other sites of Prague. We meet at the end of this day for a farewell dinner to celebrate the successful completion of our journey. Overnight: Prague.

Day 14: After breakfast we will depart individually based on flight schedules. The trip leader will provide instructions for getting from the hotel to the airport.

Getting There

The trip begins in Vienna and ends in Prague. Many major international airlines serve both cities, so it is possible to purchase a multi-city ticket. You may prefer to fly in and out of Vienna and take the train from Prague back to Vienna at the end of the trip. Your leader will provide information and recommendations. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Rooms are double-occupancy, with a same-sex roommate provided for those traveling alone.

We will be staying at small, centrally located hotels within walking distance of many major attractions. Hotel rooms in the Czech Republic are very different than in the U.S. All rooms will have their own bathrooms, but it is not unusual for the rooms to be small. Many do not have telephones, televisions, or air-conditioning. Rooms are often located over the street and can be noisy, even with the windows closed. Hotel rooms are often brighter and warmer than we may be used to even with drapes closed. It is recommended that you bring eye masks and ear plugs in order to sleep more comfortably. Some of our hotels do not have identical rooms because the rooms were designed to fit the architectural features of the building. 

The cuisines of Austria and the Czech Republic are heavy on meat and potatoes, though fish dishes are available at most dinners. In addition, various types of salads are usually available, and it is becoming easier to accommodate vegetarians. Participants should discuss any dietary restrictions with the trip leader.

All meals are included in the trip price. Breakfasts will be provided in our hotels, and dinners at local restaurants and pubs. Lunches will be packed picnics or stops at local cafes. Evening meals will be leisurely, with opportunities to engage in discussions with our local guide on such topics as the Iron Curtain and the Cold War, fish ponds and fish farming, and the Czech culture. You will be responsible for purchasing your own alcoholic beverages.

Trip Difficulty

This trip is designed for hikers in good health who are used to walking up to seven miles a day for several consecutive days. The terrain is moderate, with trails consisting mostly of well-groomed dirt tracks winding through forests or open meadows; country roads; or occasionally town streets. Good balance and tolerance of heights is required because some trails include narrow ledges with steep drop-offs; stream crossings that require rock hopping; wooden and suspension bridges; and short, steep ascents and descents. Elevations are also moderate and changes in elevation are insignificant. The highest peak in the area is Klet, which rises to 3,200 feet.

Our support bus will carry our luggage and be available in case of illness, exhaustion, or injury. The length of any day's hike may vary from the itinerary, depending on the route selected, the weather, and group safety considerations.

Austria and the Czech Republic are modern countries, but they do some things differently than we do. Critical to your enjoyment of this trip is a relaxed attitude and a willingness to accept the inevitable surprises that travel has in store for us.

Equipment and Clothing

Sturdy walking shoes, rain gear, and a daypack are essential; otherwise, your normal travel gear will do. The weather at this time of year in Central Europe is variable; we may encounter heat, chilly rain, and dramatic thunderstorms all in one day, so you will need to be prepared with layers and waterproof raingear. A complete list of equipment will be provided prior to the trip.

A valid passport is required for travel to Austria and the Czech Republic, but U.S. citizens do not need visas. The passport should have 4 empty pages and 6 months of validity from your departure date. Citizens of other countries should check with their embassies or consulates.

References

Books:

• Agnew, Hugh, The Czechs and the Lands of the Bohemian Crown. 2004.
• Capek, Karel, Tales from Two Pockets, The War with the Newts. Catbird Press, 1994.
• Any books, plays, articles by Václav Havel, the Czech writer, philosopher, and dissident who was imprisoned during the Soviet era and who later became the first president of Czechoslovakia after the fall of the Iron Curtain.
• Czech Phrasebook, Lonely Planet, 3rd Edition. 2013.
• Ash, Timothy Garton, We The People: Revolution of '89 Witnessed in Warsaw, Budapest, Berlin and Prague. Granta Paperbacks, 1990.
• Steves, Rick, Rick Steves' Prague and the Czech Republic. 2012.

Movies:

• “Amadeus." The incredible story of genius musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told in flashback by his peer and secret rival Antonio Salieri, now confined to an insane asylum. 1984. Directed by Milos Forman. Starring Tom Hulse, F. Murray Abraham.
• “The Woman in Gold." The true story of one woman's battle against the Austrian establishment to recover her family possessions that had been seized by Nazis during WWII. 2015. Directed by Simon Curtis. Starring Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Bruhl. 

Conservation

The Sierra Club is an environmentally focused entity. We are concerned about conservation and sustainability of resources both locally and globally. Our work is accomplished by volunteers, aided by a salaried staff, and encourages grassroots involvement. Our outings seek to empower participants in understanding the parallels between environmental concerns at home and abroad.

The modern Greenways were created by a group of preservation enthusiasts -- Czechs and Americans -- after the 1989 "Velvet Revolution." This Greenways group realized that under the new free market economy, with its rapid and environmentally careless economic development, architectural monuments and the surrounding countryside of the region were in need of protection. They formed a nonprofit civic organization, Greenways-Zelene stezky, in 1992. Following the model of the Hudson River Valley Greenway, they created a partnership of 12 mayors and their towns, and inspired and supported grassroots initiatives. Greenways-Zelene stezky is a member of the Environmental Partnership for Sustainable Development (Nadace Partnerstvi), which is working to promote sustainable regional development through projects that preserve the natural and cultural heritage that makes each community unique. We will have the opportunity to visit some of these projects.

Evacuation and Travel Insurance

The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.