Reading Time: 8 Minutes 9 Seconds
Intro
Krušné hory (or Ore Mountains, in English) are vast.
This specific ride focuses on the area between Karlovy Vary – Boží Dar – Chomutov.
The ride can be done in various ways and all of them include a sleep over in Boží Dar:
- Start in Karlovy Vary and end in Chomutov. This way is super handy if you travel by train.
- Loop that starts and ends in Karlovy Vary. If you chose this way, you are probably travelling by car or are based in Vary.
You can park at the Chomutov train station and take the train to Karlovy Vary to start the ride. Or park at the car wash close to Baumax in Karlovy Vary and take the train back from Chomutov on the second day. - Prolong it by 1 more day to cycle back to Karlovy Vary from Chomutov.
Note: Perhaps you are thinking about cycling the loop the other way around.
I would not recommend it, because the long section you climb on the first day has uneven pavement with many stones, which will force you to dismount when going downhill. It you have a MTB, then it is great, but for other types of bikes and with a bag under your seat, it won’t be the most enjoyable ride.
We chose option n. 2, and since that day all the morning trains from Chomutov had fully booked bike spaces, we started from Karlovy Vary.
Day 1 (total ascent 1143m) + Day 2 (total ascent 583m)


Breakfast in Chomutov is in a couple of cafes in the centre or, if you are short on time, grab something in the Globus supermarket behind the station.
Breakfast in Karlovy Vary can be difficult during weekends. Several places I knew near the lower train station closed down. You can opt for the cafeteria at the main train station, or travel to the city centre, or go to Mc Donald close to the parking spot.
The ride on day 1 (Karlovy Vary – Boží Dar)
The journey starts in the northern part of Karlovy Vary, following the 2009 “Karlova Stezka” main path, which runs alongside the Rolava stream.
First highlight of the day: in the area around the Kozodoj farm you will see several animals.
When you reach the village of Nová Role, divert to the Karlova Stezka “red” section to the right, renamed as 2012.
You then arrive at the Děpoltovice pond (Děpoltovický rybník), where you can stop to take a break and, if you are brave enough, for a bath.
There are a tiny sandy beach on its shore (point 4) and an improvised bar set up in an old bus.


Continue on the same path, and between points 5 and 6 you cross a beautiful wide field. The path is made of concrete slabs (still there from the commie times) and it is gently downhill, so you don’t need to cycle much and can just stand on your pedals and look around.
Next stop is the Big Pond (Velký Rybník). Here too there is a tiny sandy beach (point 7) and the water doesn’t seem that bad.
Finally, you reach Hroznětín (point 8), which is the last village where to get water and food before embarking on the long killing climb that leads to Boží Dar.
In Hroznětín you follow the Bystřice stream until you meet the first crossroad with the road that connects to Horní Žďár via Hluboký.
In Horní Žďár begins the real climb (point 9).
Here you switch to the path 2011 until the wooden shed up in Suchá at point 11.
The long and steady climb is made even more difficult by the pavement (old broken asphalt and stones), and by the distraction caused by the multitude of tiny tasty wild strawberries.
On this section we met only three people, two of which were on electric bikes!


After a good rest, you resume the climb until “Nad Suchou” (point 12) and proceed along path 2005.
This route is a very wide forest road, but in few sections you should proceed with caution, as it intersects with some of the trails of the Klínovec downhill bike park.
Such segments are very visible if you zoom in the map. The park trails have different colors and names.
Continue climbing until “Nad Neklidem” at the crossroad with the main road (point 13), and finally throw yourself into a short and quick descent to Boží Dar.
What do to in Boží Dar
Boží Dar is almost exclusively a hotel and holiday apartments town. It is much loved by the Germans and in fact everything caters to them, from language to prices.
Nevertheless, it is a quite and peaceful town, where you can rest and live a bit of a slow life, drink a couple of beers and fill your belly with some hearty meal.
There are many accommodations where to chose from, and most of them, if not all, have a bike storage room (which converts into a ski storage in winter).
Regarding food, my favourite restaurant so far is Hranice.
I can also recommend the notorious Zelený Dům (the Green House) for the old style mountain architecture – try to get a table in the room that corners with the square.
Both restaurants offer vegetarian meals.
The only grocery store in the village is Konzum Čáda, located in the center, and surprisingly, it is not run by Vietnamese people.
While the reviews are horrible, I perceived the staff to be helpful and friendly and I always found whatever I needed. Additionally, the store is open year-round, every day from morning until evening.
The ride on day 2 (Boží Dar – Chomutov)
After a full breakfast in Boží Dar, you climb a tiny bit to reach the border and cross into the German town of Kurort Oberwiesenthal. This stretch is an amazing downhill.
If it is Sunday, everything will be closed, as per German tradition.
At the edge of the town, you cross the border once more and enter the Czech Republic in Loučná, over the Polava stream (point 16).
You continue straight on the road that follows the Polava (cycling path 3002) until you reach the small and desert village of České Hamry.
Next stop is Kovářská, a village related to the mining and processing of iron ore, where you can quickly visit the ruins of the coal house (point 18) on the way.
You leave the town following the main road along the Black Stream (Černý Potok), which is marked as 3004. On one side you have a pine forest and on the other side are beautiful fields.
Here too, the borders of the road are full of wild strawberries during this season.

At the end, you turn right to reach the Přísečnice dam and reservoir, which serves to supply the districts of Chomutov, Most and Louny with drinking water.
The panorama here is beautiful and soothing.
Get on the pedals again and proceed on the “23 Krušnohorská magistrála”, that climbs inside the forest, until meeting with the main road (point 20).
Try to cross the road as quickly as you can, because that spot has been exchanged for a public toilet by the truck drivers that pass by or stop at the sides of the road.
You leave the main road quite soon, to connect again with the forest, and find other two small mountain ponds.
Ride on the path 3081, which then connects to the 3079, that runs along the Chomutovka stream in Bezručovo údolí (Bezruč’s Valley), also called “the gate of the Ore Mountains”.
Keep in mind that between points 21 and 22 the path is going downhill very steeply, and the surface is very rough. You might consider dismounting and pushing your bike for that short stretch (350m in length).

In Bezručovo údolí you will hardly need to pedal anymore. The bike will flow on its own, allowing you to enjoy the breeze and the scenery.
At point 23, where an old mill once stood, you join the cycling path and leave the main road. It is safer and more enjoyable.
You first pass the “second mill” (point 24), and then the “first mill” (point 25), both of which have been transformed into hotels with restaurants and outdoor kiosks. If you are hungry, you know they serve classic Czech dishes.
Then, continue along the cycling marked trail till the train station and jump on a train to Karlovy Vary.
The end
If you are not in a rush to get on the train, I would recommend you to stop at the pub, restaurant and cafeteria Hřebíkárna, instead. You can even sleep there, they have very nice and modern rooms upstairs.
If you are taking the train back to Karlovy Vary, remember that on this line, trains run every 2 hours on week-ends, and no matter the time of the year, you should reserve a spot for your bike!
Sometimes, some head of the train will close an eye and let you pay for your bike after boarding, but if all the bike spots have already been booked, they won’t allow you in.
For purchasing train tickets, you can refer to the České dráhy website. The section Chomutov – Vary is served only by the national carrier.
I hope you liked this ride as much as we did, especially all the curses and the sweat while climbing!