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Intro
On a summer rainy weekend, when the rain finally stops on Sunday at 14:00, we decide to go for a quickie, just to stretch the legs.
No hills to climb this time, only an infinite boring flat to reach Nymburk and get an ice cream at Zmrzlinárna Nymburk.
While Amato in Prague is still the best gelato shop in the entire Czech Republic, the place in Nymburk is good too and makes for a perfect ride destination.
The first thing to do is to manage to leave Prague, which can take some time.
You can cycle from your home, or decide to reach Rajská zahrada by train or by metro (yellow line, B).
For convenience, and not to reveal where I live, the shared path starts from Rajská zahrada.
Note: There is a lot of off-road, including mud, stones, roots and crossing a field, so the ride is not recommended for roadies.
The ride to Nymburk for the ice cream
Exiting the Rajská zahrada station, you begin riding on a pathway built over the tunnel, where the metro travels to and from Černý Most.
Then, you continue to get to Černý Most and to connect to the A26 or Euro Velo 4, which brings you to Horní Počernice.
At the end of the village (or neighborhood, since we are still in Prague) you change to the “17 Jizera Greenway”, which is still part of the EV4.
This path, which reaches Lázně Toušeň, is full of fruit trees. If you pass by in summer you will find cherries, apples, plums and mirabelles. It is worthy to stop and have a sweet break.
In Lázně Toušeň you meet the Elbe river (or Labe, in Czech), and from this point you follow its course, until the final destination in Nymburk.
The path gets renamed as n. 2 “Labská stezka”, which then becomes 2A on the left bank of the river, while the 2 runs along the right side.
The Touseň Spa has its origins in 1868 and quickly gained a reputation for its iron-sulfur bog treatment methods.
These procedures were particularly effective for degenerative inflammatory conditions of the musculoskeletal system.
Since 2006, the spa has been integrated into the Bulovka Hospital of Prague, serving as a rehabilitation center.
You can stop and pop in to check the garden and the so-called “Glass Villa”.
Along the route, you come across several refreshment stands, that are typically open during the summer season, or in case of nice weather.
To mention a few: Bar Oddech-off, on your left as you join the Elbe, Oddechoff a bit further down, and Bistro U Lávky at the Čelákovice “marina”.
Additionally, depending on the season, you will encounter many fishermen with their camping setups.
Continue to reach a big white bridge, named after the famous Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal, who lived for many years in a cottage nearby.
At this point you have two choices: continue straight on the left bank of the Elbe, or cross the bridge to ride on the other side.
This time we decided to cross the bridge. Right at the bottom (point 6) there is a nice resting area with trees, benches, a bar and, for the bravest ones, a sandy beach on the river.
At point 7 you cross a very narrow metal bridge over the little stream.
A sign indicates that you must dismount, as you may encounter pedestrians. More importantly, one side of the bridge lacks the railing, and you could easily fall into the water.
Ride further to get to Kostomlátky village and soon you enter Nymburk, where the ice cream awaits you.
In the photo: hazelnut and sea buckthorn.
Conclusion
The ride ends here, but you are free to continue to Poděbrady and further, or to cycle back to Prague.
In alternative, go to the train station and jump on a train.
In the past years I have been riding such way often, especially to keep training during winter. The ice cream shop is open for most of the year, and it offers also cakes and hot drinks.
The route can be done on either side of the Elbe, as the cycling path goes both ways.
Sometimes you switch to a hiking trail, while some other times you leave the riverbank for a while before rejoining it.
