South Bohemia is well known for its fantastic roads and quality asphalt, perfect for motorcycling. The varied landscapes and amazing scenery along the way, along with the many places that beckon to be visited, make for the perfect combination for a one-stop trip! And it's no different in Budejovice. We have prepared a MOTO guide to Budweis that will take you to the surroundings of the South Bohemian capital. On the three routes, which cross the entire Budějovicko Tourist Area like a three-leaf clover, you will discover the beauty of the local landscape, ride along the great roads and visit interesting places. Each of the routes is about 100 kilometres long and each has a different character. They offer the ideal plan if you want to discover Budweis in one track and on each of them you will also visit neighbouring tourist areas. Whether you choose a quick ride to enjoy the ride itself or plan a day trip, these routes will not disappoint.
Complete maps of all 3 routes in the Mapy.cz app can be found HERE and for a printable download HERE.
This route takes you west of Budějovice to an area where picturesque villages with architecture in the style of the peasant baroque are scattered. The most famous of these is Holašovice, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cultural landscape of the České Budějovice Basin, where the roads wind through fields and around ponds, is a real treat for motorcyclists who prefer a scenic ride.
After Holašovice, the route climbs into the hilly terrain of the Blanský Forest, which you will cross through the village of Brloh to its western slopes. A little to the north among the orchards is the town of Lhenice, located in the Šumava Tourist Area. This area is known as the Garden of South Bohemia. A few kilometres further on you will come across the town of Netolice, near which lies the Renaissance castle Kratochvíle with its typical moat.
On the way back you will pass through the rural area of Budějovice with a number of agricultural villages, including Dobčice, well known from the film Babovřesky by Zdeněk Troška. For refreshment in the summer months, you can use the beach of one of the largest local ponds, Dehtář, near which the road will take you.
The route leads over the hill on which the village of Hosín is located and from which views of České Budějovice and the Hluboká Chateau open up. From there it continues north along the right bank of the Vltava River along winding paths past old game preserves.
Through Poněšice and Kostelec you will reach Pořežany, where you can visit the Museum of Historical Vehicles and Old Agricultural Equipment. A few kilometres further, right by the river, is the Hněvkovice Mill Museum with a unique exhibition.
You will cross the Hněvkovice Dam to the left bank of the Vltava River, where the route will take you to the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant with a visitor centre in the Vysoký Hrádek Chateau.
North of Temelín on the banks of the river lies the town of Týn nad Vltavou. You can visit the historical underground or the exhibition of vltavines, rafts and puppets in the local museum. From Týn nad Vltavou, the route continues through Neznašov, where you can enjoy beautiful views of the confluence of the Lužnice and Vltava rivers, and then through Albrechtice nad Vltavou with its extraordinary chapel cemetery at the Church of St. Peter and Paul. From here the route turns back south and leads through the villages of Temelín and then Dříteň and Dívčice. This section is very popular with motorcyclists. On the way you will pass the Mydlovarský pond near the town of Zliv. In the summer months, do not hesitate to stop here for a swim. From there you will continue to Hluboká nad Vltavou and back to České Budějovice.
On this route you will visit the neighbouring tourist areas of Třeboňsko and Novohradsko-Doudlebsko east of Budějovice. On the way you can visit the Trocnov Archaeological Museum, which is a branch of the South Bohemian Museum, or the Safari Resort in Hluboká u Borovany. In the first part of the route, you will climb from the Budějovice lowlands up the Lišovský Sill to the historic mining town of Rudolfov. Here you can visit the Mining Museum, whose exposition maps, for example, silver mining or the beginnings of mining in southern Bohemia. Not far outside the town you will find popular swimming in the Mrhal pond.
Through the flat terrain between fields and ponds, paths lined with alleys lead you to Třeboň to the dam between Opatovický Pond and Svět Pond. From here it's just a short walk to visit the Schwarzenberg Tomb or the town centre with its conservation area and Renaissance castle. Through the landscape of the Třeboň Basin, the route winds between villages back to the southwest.
In Hluboká u Borovany you will come across the Safari Resort, which offers a great opportunity for a refreshing stop. Here you can take a safari ride in all-terrain vehicles to the animal enclosures, or sample the buffalo meat from their own production at Bistro Naše Farma. In nearby Borovany there is a former Augustinian monastery and a natural swimming pool, which you will definitely appreciate in summer.
A few kilometres from Borovany lies the birthplace of Jan Žižka of Trocnov, his memorial and the unique Trocnov Archaeoskanzen, which demonstrates village life at the end of the 14th century. The road from Trocnov through Trhové Sviny offers beautiful views of the panorama of the Novohradské hory Mountains and several sections with nice curves. In Trhové Sviny it is worth visiting the Pilgrimage Church of the Holy Trinity with a healing spring, or the functional technical monument of the Busk hammer mill.
After the village of Besednice the road turns north along the Rimov dam on the river Malše. In the village of the same name you cross the river to the left bank. Římov is an important pilgrimage site, the centre of which is the 17th century Loreto Chapel. Nearby is a 5-kilometre-long Stations of the Cross from the same period with 25 chapels. At the Rimov dam you will find great swimming in the Malše.
The last stretch of the route takes you along the left bank of the river past the old villages of Plav and Doudleby, where there is an old Slavic fortress from the middle of the 10th century. From here it is only a short walk back to České Budějovice.
If you want to enjoy more time in the saddle, take inspiration from the Motorcycle Guide to South Bohemia. It offers a total of 6 interconnected routes that will take you through the entire region and all the tourist areas.
Another option are the routes created as part of the Indian Riders Fest 2024. All of them start and end in České Budějovice and offer a day trip and a visit to popular South Bohemian places.
