The trail to Zbraslav is popular on weekends (photo: Città di Praga)

You may not encounter many cyclists in Prague - the city has a slowly growing but small core of urban cyclists - but when the sun is out, Czechs love to spend the weekends or summer holidays cycling. Even Prague is beginning to build recreational trails, and many Praguers flock to trails such as the one through Prokop Valley or along the Vltava (upstream to Zbraslav or downstream to the zoo and beyond).

And bicycling is also a great way to see the rest of the country. The Czech Rebublic is criss-crossed by a well marked network of cycling routes which usually follow country roads with little car traffic. The routes are marked and numbered by yellow signs. If you are planning to do some long-distance biking, make sure to get a good map that shows these trails. (The Shocart maps, available at most Czech bookstores such as Academia on the corner of Wenceslas Square and Vodičkova Street, are a good bet.)

When looking for accomodations on your cycling trip, keep an eye out fir the "Cykliste vitani" (Cyclists Welcome) sign on hotels or pensions.

Popular trails

• Prague-Vienna Greenways
• Moravia Wine Trails
• Maps of Prague (Czech-language, independent site) 
• Maps of Prague (English language, City of Prague site)

And if you're looking for a guided tour or a list of bike rental shops, look no further than here or check out the Greenways Travel Club website, where you will find active vacations not only on bike.