EuroVelo 13 / Stezka železné opony

From the Norwegian-Russian border region to the Black Sea tracing the history of a once dividend continent
             The Iron Curtain Trail – EuroVelo 13 with its more than 10.000 km is the longest  EuroVelo route in Europe. The trail crosses 20 states from the Norwegian town Kirkenes to  Rezovo in Bulgaria. No other EuroVelo route can offer the diversity of European culture and nature in such a variety as can be found along the Iron Curtain Trail. Discover untouched nature including uninhabited vast territories in Lapland, get to know the recent history of the Baltic states and famous Polish Solidarity movement. In the southern part you will admire steppe landscape along the Austria-Hungarian border or the Ottoman architecture along the Turkish-Bulgarian border.

The Czech section of EuroVelo 13

Undoubtedly the most attractive section of the ICT is the Central section covering the Czech-Bavarian and Czech-Austrian borders. At several spots you will be able to spot landmarks of the Iron Curtain in the form of monuments and an open-air museum commemorating the Cold war times. Monuments such as St Cross (svatý Kříž) near Cheb or around Rozvadov, which commemorates the act of the barbed wire cutting and decomposition of the Iron curtain in the Czech Republic, with intact barriers including a watch tower near Čížov in Podyjí national park – these function as a monument for hundreds of victims of the once hermetically sealed border between the East and West. Special attraction is cycling along the Schawrzenberg logging-water canal along the Bohemian-Austrian border near Lipno lake and Vyšší Brod. In Šumava (Bohemian Forest)/Bavarian Forest National park you will cycle long sections on former military or forestry roads through unspoiled nature. A dividied train station with a theme ICT trail can be visited in Železná ruda/Bayer.Eisenstein. More secluded section can be found in Novohradské hory near Nové hrady with amazing views. A wonderfull renaissance town of Slavonice offers well preserved military bukers surrounding the town.

Although the Central section ICT can be recommended to sportive cycle tourists - especially the hilly part between Bavaria/Upper Austria and Bavaria/Czechia - one will also find long itineraries suitable for recreational cycle tourists or even families with kids. The last group can enjoy the South Moravia – Weinviertel section (between Břeclav and Znojmo). In this part you will visit the Freedom trail with an ICT monument which include info panels depicting stories of successful or unsuccessful attempts to cross  the heavily guarded communist border. Nearby you will enter the amazing countryside of UNESCO Heritage Lednice-Valtice area with 200 km2 of of lakes, ponds, antiqueartefacts scattered in man made countryside. Nature lovers will be able to cycle through two cross-border national parks Podyjí/Thayatal at Moravia-Austrian and Bohemian/Bavarian Forest which are a part of a continuous corridor of preserved nature with unique fauna and flora called the European Green Belt. Along the Czech border between Břeclav in the east and Hranice u Aše in the West you will cycle 866 km of well signposted EuroVelo route 13 which is well accompanied by cycle friendly services Cyclists welcome. 

More info: www.eurovelo.com and www.ironcurtaintrail.eu
Regional links:
Carlsbad region: www.zivykraj.cz/en/
Pilsen region: www.turisturaj.cz/en
South Bohemia: www.jiznicechy.cz/en/
South Moravia: www.cycling-southern-moravia-region.com and www.jizni-morava.cz/en
ICT Guidebook: Nadace Partnerství: „Places at the former Iron Curtain Trail – European GreenBelt – EuroVelo 13 view here:

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