Nové Hrady to Telč

Ride day 6: 67 miles, 3169’ Elevation

Lodging:  U Hrabēnky Hotel

We knew a weather system was coming in, so we rose early and used the kitchen in our ramshackle penzion to make instant coffee. We headed out of town, down a hill, at around 7am. It seemed that the mountains were behind us. There was fog, the air was cool, and we headed into the forest on a paved road that was barely wider than the small cars that are driven here (though we see very few cars on the smallest roads). Sometimes it’s not clear if we are on a road or a bike path, but it’s pleasant riding either way. Forests, lakes, small roads, and the threat of rain were the theme of the day. The forests and fish ponds are part of a protected reserve.

After a couple of hours, our route took us right into the historic center of the town of Jilovice. We stopped at a cafe for an apple pastry and coffee before heading back out through fields and forests. A while later, our route took us across an earthen dam, past some fisheries, and into the central square of Trebon. All these historic centers have historic buildings with beautiful facades, old churches, fountains, and cobble stones. We didn’t linger since rain looked imminent. We nearly made it into Telc before the rain arrived, and it was only coming down gently as we passed the colorful historic square and continued to our hotel. They had a spacious bike locker outside the door, and reception let us use their floor pump which they have for rental bikes. We’ve found everyone to be welcoming to bike travelers.

We will spend two nights here. We booked our next several nights of hotels, adapting our plan slightly based on availability. We think there are a lot of penzions not listed on booking.com or Google maps, but we don’t want to arrive at a destination and find all the hotels full, so we are reserving a few days in advance. Although families are back in school, the smaller towns seem to book up, especially on weekends.

After dinner the rain poured down, and we felt lucky not to have had to ride in rain gear today.