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Along the Prague Trail in the land of Lords of Pernstein

Route tracking:

Bystřice nad Pernštejnem - Pernštejn Castle - Nedvědice - Černvír - Doubravník - Prudká - Lomnice u Tišnova - Lomnička - Předklášteří - Tišnov

Characteristics:

Take this trail and marvel at the beautiful countryside and sights in the land ruled for centuries by one of the richest and most influential aristocratic families – the Lords of Pernstein. On the trail running between the towns of Bystřice nad Pernštejnem and Tišnov you will visit romantic Gothic-style Pernštejn Castle, no less interesting Cistercian monastery Porta Coeli and particularly, you will admire the beautiful nature scenery formed for millennia by the River Svratka. Listen to the story about how a buffalo got onto the coat of arms of the family of Pernstein, get enchanted by the sound of church songs or just by the murmur of river rapids.

Route parameters:

Route difficulty:	Turista
Length:	40,4 km
Choosing the right bicycle:	Silniční
Tourist area:	Brno a okolí
Maximum / minimum altitude:	m.s.l. / m.s.l.
Total elevation:	m
Total of vertical meters ascended:	m

Description:

Your cycling trip starts at the railway station in Bystřice nad Pernštejnem and ends at the railway station in Tišnov. In its first part you will mostly descends downhill, so it is especially suitable for families with children, since the trip may be finished earlier at the railway station in Nedvědice. From the railway station in Bystřice nad Pernštejnem you first head for the town centre where you can admire St. Lawrence Church, a fountain with statues of St. Cyril and Method, or visit exhibitions at the Town Museum housed in the building of Town Hall. From the square follow the Prague trail (marked cycle trail no. 1) in the direction of Nedvědice. Ride along a road through a neatly kept small village of Věchnov followed by a climb and a long descent through Býšovec down to the Pernštejn Castle.

  

At Pernštejn castle, which is one of the most beautiful and best preserved castles in the Czech Republic, there are bike stands at the 1st courtyard. You can take a basic tour of the castle or three special ones (on appointment). What is most impressive about the castle is its dominant position on a high cliff and Gothic as well as more modern interiors. Having finished the tour of the castle, enjoy another downhill ride to Nedvědice. This small town is notable for its attractive location on the banks of the River Svratka. Should you like to see the centre, feel free to make a short detour from the trail by turning left before the railway crossing.

  

From Nedvědice to Doubravník you will ride along a rather busy 2nd class road. Therefore, we do not recommend passing this stretch to families with small children. In Černvír you will be attracted to an originally Romanesque Church of the Ascension of Virgin Mary, which is impressive for its location on a fortified cliff. It is not open to the public but you can have a rest and sit on a bench in front. The main attraction of the village, however, is the covered wooden bridge over the Svratka River from 1718. The next settlement you pass through on this trip is the small town of Doubravník dominated by a Gothic-Renaissance Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross with the tomb of the Lords of Pernstein family and a very neatly kept park-style square with majestic trees, a town hall, dead soldiers memorial monument and statues of saints. Here, turn left off the 2nd class road, pass through Doubravník and plunge into the countryside where the River Svratka makes its way down a picturesque narrow valley.

  

After 2 km the road and the Prague Trail leaves the main axis of the valley. But we recommend riding up to the resort Prudká, which is not a village but a group of buildings located between steep slopes. Here you can admire the rapids of the River Svratka, a covered wooden bridge from 1899, the Sokolí skála rock, you can get refreshments or stay in the cottage colony. Turn back as you come to the covered bridge in Prudká, return to the Prague Trail along which you ascend via Běleč and Ochoz heading for the village Lomnice.

  

Lomnice near Tišnov is notable for its Jewish quarter with a Baroque synagogue and a Jewish cemetery where you can find graves as old as from the 18th century. Riding along the road from Ochoz, you will be directed to the Jewish quarter by a local signpost. At the main square you will see an early Baroque church of the Visitation of Holy Mary, a town hall and plague column. The castle above the square is not generally open to the public, today it houses a school. But the real attraction is the new bicycle path on the stretch from Lomnice to Šerkovice in the beautiful countryside along the brook of Besének. And not only that: still at the territory of Lomnice there is a pleasant guest–house Zámecký mlýn, which invites you to take a refreshment break. Then ride through Šerkovice (on the right-hand side of the road you will see a memorial of partisans died in 1945) and Lomnička, where we recommend to cross onto the right bank of the brook of Besének. This option will bring you onto local roads and a cycle path, avoiding the main road.

  

In Lomnička the Prague trail turns left and runs over the hill to Tišnov. Our trip, however, offers another option. If you are still on the right bank of Besének you will arrive at the limestone quarry, cross the railway track and find yourself on a brand new cycle path. Follow that cycle path past an elegant bridge over the Svratka River and you will come to Předklášteří. The main attraction here is the Cistercian monastery of Porta Coeli (Heaven's gate), which nowadays houses a museum (Podhorácké muzeum). The monastery is particularly renowned for its portal that looks as if it was a copy of portals found in French cathedrals. The portal is freely accessible, but tours of the monastery are guided.

  

From Předklášteří the town of Tišnov is round a corner. Though its square is not of historical character, the local town hall, the Church of St. Wenceslas and the functionalist building of the savings bank by B. Fuchs are definitely worth seeing. There are two hills rising above the town of Tišnov that offer nice views – the hill Květnice with a Nature Reserve and a labyrinth of caves, and the hill Klucanina with a recently restored view-tower. When you have seen everything there and feel refreshed you can go to the railway station where our trip ends. See you next time!

    

Recommended points of interest: 

Bystřice nad Pernštejnem: St. Lawrence church, fountain with statues of St. Cyril and Method

Town museum

Pernštejn Castle
Černvír: covered wooden bridge
Prudká: valley of the Svratka river, covered wooden bridge
Lomnice u Tišnova: Jewish quarter and Jewish cemetery
Předklášteří: monastery Porta Coeli, museum “Podhorácké muzeum”

Tišnov: Nature Reserve Květnice, view-tower on hill Klucanina