The cycling trip starts in Děčín, where the cycle route No. 15 - Ploučnice Cycle Path begins. The route will lead you along a nice cycle path to Březiny, where we recommend a stop at Caffé 08 for a good local coffee and a small snack. From the café, the official cycle path leads to a class II road with relatively higher traffic frequency (not suitable for families with children and less fit cyclists). Unofficially, you can take a natural (in places unpaved) path through private land along the river. We leave the choice of route up to you. From the village of Soutěsky, cycle route No. 15 leads through beautiful countryside and through Malá Veleň it will take you to Benešov nad Ploučnicí, where there is a very nice castle complex with a unique example of architecture from the period of the transition between the Vladislav Gothic and the Renaissance - the so-called Saxon Renaissance. From Benešov, the cycle route leads via a hike, not far from the ruins of the Ostrý Castle, to Františkov and then to Horní Police, where there is another important destination of the cycle tour - the Pilgrimage Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. This pilgrimage site dates back to the 18th century, when the church and its surroundings were rebuilt in the Baroque style. The history of the church buildings and the whole pilgrimage site in Horní Políce are much older. The legend and pilgrimage significance here dates back to the 16th century. The current state is the result of extensive reconstruction in 2019 and 2020.

From Horní Police you can take the same route back to Děčín. Less fit cyclists can use the train to get back.

Route: Děčín -- Malá Veleň - Benešov nad Ploučnicí - Starý Šachov - Dolní Police - Horní Police and back

Trip length: 43 km

Climb: 450 m; Descent: 450 m

For an exact map, see here or retrieve the QR code below.