The Elbe Cycle Route
Elberadweg - Czechia and Germany to the North Sea
The Elbe Cycle Route
Elberadweg - Czechia and Germany to the North Sea
Guidebook to the Elbe Cycle Route through Czechia and Germany. This 1227km route along one of Europe's great rivers follows the Elbe from its source to the North Sea coast, visiting Prague, Dresden, Magdeburg and Hamburg. 29 stages of easy, flat cycling mainly on quiet country roads and dedicated cycle tracks.Cycle one of Europe’s great river routes on the Elbe Cycle Route, following the River Elbe from the Czech border through eastern and northern Germany to the North Sea. This largely traffic-free long-distance cycle ride traces a scenic course through dramatic sandstone landscapes, vineyard-covered hills, historic towns and vibrant cities, making it ideal for touring cyclists of all abilities.
Covering approximately 1260km (780 miles) from the Czech border to Cuxhaven on the North Sea, the Elbe Cycle Route is typically completed in around three to four weeks. This guidebook divides the Elbe Cycle Route into 29 manageable daily stages, allowing riders to tailor distances to suit their pace, with most days offering flat or gently graded riding along well-signposted riverside cycle paths. From the dramatic Elbe Sandstone Mountains of Saxon Switzerland, the Elbe Cycle Route continues downstream through Dresden, Meissen and Magdeburg to Hamburg and the wide North Sea estuary, with excellent rail links enabling flexible start and finish points for those riding shorter sections.
- Detailed stage-by-stage route descriptions of the Elbe Cycle Route, guiding you from the Czech border to the North Sea with clear daily distances, terrain notes and practical navigation advice.
- Clear 1:150,000 mapping and navigation guidance specifically tailored to the Elbe Cycle Route, helping cyclists follow signposted riverside paths, quiet roads and traffic-free sections with confidence.
- Downloadable GPX files enable easy digital navigation on GPS devices or smartphone apps.
- Comprehensive information on accommodation and campsites along the Elbe Cycle Route, including bike-friendly options, refreshment stops and essential services for touring cyclists.
- Practical advice for planning and riding the Elbe Cycle Route, covering transport connections, rail access, luggage transfers and tips for organising a full end-to-end journey or sectional ride.
- Logistical guidance for cycle touring on the Elbe Cycle Route, including preparation tips, equipment considerations and useful insights for riding one of Europe’s most popular long-distance cycle routes.
Combining gentle gradients, cultural highlights and ever-changing riverside scenery, the Elbe Cycle Route offers an accessible yet rewarding long-distance cycling adventure. This comprehensive guidebook provides everything you need to plan, navigate and enjoy the Elbe Cycle Route from source to sea with confidence.
Elbe Cycle Route - Quick Facts
Trail name: Elbe Cycle Route
Location: Czech–German border to Cuxhaven, Germany (River Elbe corridor)
Designation: International long-distance riverside cycle route
Distance: ~1260 km / ~780 miles
Typical duration: ~3–4 weeks (depending on pace and stage length)
Start: Czech–German border (near Schöna / Bad Schandau region)
End: Cuxhaven, on the North Sea coast, Germany
Route format: Linear long-distance cycle route following the River Elbe
Stages: Guidebook divided into 29 manageable daily stages of 21-69km (13-43 miles)
Navigation: Well-signposted cycle paths supported by guidebook mapping and GPX files
Terrain: Predominantly flat riverside paths, gentle gradients, cycle tracks, quiet roads and urban waterfront sections
Difficulty: Easy to moderate – suitable for touring cyclists of most abilities
Best season: Late spring to early autumn (May–September)
Accommodation: Hotels, guesthouses, campsites and bike-friendly accommodation along the route
Author Highlight
“After descending 40km from the mountains, the track continues gently downhill all the way to the sea, making it the easiest long-distance cycle route in Europe as far as gradients are concerned.”
- Mike Wells, author of The Elbe Cycle Route
Printed book
A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps - everything you need on the trail.
ISBN
9781786310552
Availability
Published
Published
8 Feb 2022
Reprinted
8 Dec 2023
Edition
First
Pages
272
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.35cm
Weight
290g
eBook
The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device.
Map key
Overview map
Route summary table
Suggested schedules
Introduction
Historical background
Natural environment
The route
Preparation
Getting there and back
Navigation
Accommodation
Food and drink
Amenities and services
What to take
Safety and emergencies
Using this guide
The route
Bohemia
Prologue Vrchlabí to Elbe spring
Stage 1 Elbe spring to Hostinné
Stage 2 Hostinné to Jarom??
Stage 3 Jarom?? to Pardubice
Stage 4 Pardubice to Kolín
Stage 5 Kolín to Nymburk
Stage 6 Nymburk to Prague
Stage 7 Prague to M?lník
Stage 7A Lázn? Touše? to M?lník (avoiding Prague)
Stage 8 M?lník to Litom??ice
Stage 9 Litom??ice to D??ín
Stage 10 D??ín to Bad Schandau
Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt
Stage 11 Bad Schandau to Dresden
Stage 12 Dresden to Meissen
Stage 13 Meissen to Riesa
Stage 14 Riesa to Torgau
Stage 15 Torgau to Wittenberg
Stage 16 Wittenberg to Dessau
Stage 17 Dessau to Barby
Stage 18 Barby to Magdeburg
Stage 19 Magdeburg to Rogätz
Stage 20 Rogätz to Tangermünde
Stage 21 Tangermünde to Havelberg
Stage 22 Havelberg to Wittenberge
Stage 23 Wittenberge to Dömitz
Lower Saxony
Stage 24 Dömitz to Bleckede
Stage 25 Bleckede to Geesthacht
Stage 26 Geesthacht to Hamburg
Stage 27 Hamburg to Stade
Stage 28 Stade to Freiburg
Stage 29 Freiburg to Cuxhaven
Appendix A Facilities summary
Appendix B Tourist information offices
Appendix C Youth hostels
Appendix D Ferries, lifting bridges and chairlifts
Appendix E Useful contacts
Appendix F Language glossary
Seasons
Except for the first half of stage one, where snow cover remains until early May, the route can be cycled from April to October, though June to September is the best period.
Centres
A 1227km point-to-point route visiting many towns and a few cities in Czechia and Germany. Main cities are Pardubice, Prague, Dresden, Wittenberg, Magdeburg and Hamburg.
Difficulty
This is probably the easiest long-distance cycle route in Europe, with almost no hills and, except for a few short unsurfaced stretches in Czechia, a good surface throughout. The only thing needed is stamina to keep cycling for some 1200km.
Must See
Krkonoše mountains (Sudetenland), historic centre of Prague, Saxon 'Switzerland' sandstone gorges and rock formations, restored Dresden the 'Baroque jewelbox', Wittenberg/Lutherstadt birthplace of Protestantism, Dessau home of the Bauhaus architectural movement, remains of the Iron Curtain, Hamburg Germany's second largest city.
July 2025
Stage 8
(p112)
A new stretch of riverside asphalt cycle track has been constructed between Horni Počaply and Račice. This avoids 3km of road cycling but is 1km longer than the original route.
After 1km from Horni Počaply follow cycle track turning L away from Labe. Just before this reaches road, turn R on asphalt cycle track parallel with road. Follow this back to riverbank and winding past Hnévice (station). Continue under railway bridge and past series of fishing lakes R. Emerge on quite road and turn L beside group of weekend fishing huts. Pass under railway bridge then go ahead (sp Labe arena Račice) at crossroads in Račice (accommodation, refreshments), rejoining original route.
(p115)
The route through Terezin has been changed to take regard of one-way streets.
After passing through arch into Terezin, fork L and bear immediately R (Vodárenská). At end turn R (Tyršova) and continue to nám Českosloveneské Armády square in centre of Terezin (accommodation, refreshments, camping, tourist office, cycle shop). Turn L around far end of square and first R (Máchova) to regain original route.
November 2022
Travelling with a cycle on Eurostar
After 3 years since they ‘temporarily’ ceased carrying cycles because of covid, Eurostar have begun carrying them again, but with a very limited service and with conditions of carriage that are not attractive to touring cyclists. Before covid, all trains to Paris and Brussels carried up to six cycles, two fully assembled and four dismantled, in specially designed fibreglass bike cases. Eurostar provided the cases and tools to dismantle/reassemble bikes in an area dedicated to this procedure.
The reinstated service carries bikes only on trains to Paris (not Brussels) on selected departures from London between 07.55 and 15.31 or from Paris between 11.13 and 18.13. Fully assembled bikes are not being carried. Four dismantled bikes can be carried, but cyclists must deliver their bikes already boxed to the baggage counter in either London or Paris. Pre-booking is compulsory and riders must now travel on the same train as their bikes. After completing the journey, boxes must be collected directly from the train and cycles reassembled on the platform.
This is far from ideal, and until Eurostar fully reinstate their previous cycle carriage policy, cyclists are recommended to take their bikes by plane, ferry or Euroshuttle when heading to the European mainland. The situation could potentially change.
The Cycling UK website www.cyclinguk.org has a page dedicated to Eurostar cycle carriage policy, which is updated regularly to contain any new information.
February 2022
Author updates
The guide was researched and written in summer 2019. Printing and publication was planned for 2020, but this was delayed by the covid pandemic. The subsequent lock-down and restrictions on foreign travel may have affected the provision of services listed in the guide and you should always check locally.
A few short infrastructure changes have occurred since the book was written. All of these changes have been incorporated in the downloadable gpx folder.
Stage 7 (p102). A new cyclist bridge has replaced the Bukol–Lužec ferry.
Stage 8 (p112) A new section of riverside cycle track has been constructed between Záluží–Dobříň. At crossroads in Záluží, go straight ahead and follow road winding through village. Turn L beside house 1 on asphalt cycle track and follow this to reach Elbe. Turn L on riverside cycle track and continue past Kozlovice. Where track ends, turn L up boat ramp and follow road (Přívozu) to centre of Dobříň.
Stage 14 (p152) A sluice has been rebuilt between Losswig–Torgau causing the route to be diverted onto a new asphalt cycle track along the flood dyke above the sluice. After going ahead R at a crossing of tracks, follow track turning sharply R then L to reach flood dyke and continue ahead to Hafenbrücke bridge.
Stage 19 (p189) Reconstruction of the flood dyke at Schartau has been completed and the route follows this past the village. The map on p188 shows the new route, however local waymarking still directs cyclists onto the old route through Schartau.
Stage 29 (p249), excursion to Kugelbake. The route out of Cuxhaven to Grünstrand beach has been amended to follow a road rather than passing along the harbourside and through a series of carparks. From Am Alten Haven, do not fork R towards red-brick lighthouse; rather follow road (Cassen-Eils-Strasse) bearing L in front of modern apartment building. Pass entrance to Helgoland ferry terminal R, then just before road turns sharply L over flood dyke, fork R on cycle track towards harbourside to re-join original route and continue past Grünstrand beach
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