Melnik

The trail initially had a dirt surface through a forest for about 2kms until it came out at Nelahozeves

Just downstream is a hydro station with this rusty old bridge along the top of it. We cross back to the eastern side here

This is the third dam we’ve seen with a canoeing course built into it

The trail goes through the estate of the château Veltrusy. Beautiful buildings and massive stables

The coach horses were being prepared for the tourists. There’s tours through the château also but we wanted to keep riding. As Marie Antoinette once said “ you seen one chateau ,you’ve seen them all”. ( not true)

Fast forward 3 hundred years and we have the chateaux built in the communist era . Land was taken from the capitalist pigs by the state and the workers lived together in massive communes like these. The country side is littered with these run down buildings

This is very rich farming country, hops and barley being the predominant crops. ( *even the kids drive cars )*

The Vltavou river has a 10 km canal running beside it for the shipping to get up to Prague and this is the set of locks at Hořín controlling the level

Just down stream you can see the chateau of Melnik.

Melnik is where the Vltavou meets the Elbe. It’s only midday but we’re keen to have a look around the old town

Our original intention was to take a train east and start the Elbe trip further back. Waiting so long for our bikes forced a rethink but we wouldn’t have wanted to miss riding the Vltavou anyway

It’s a lovely old town . That’s the council building with the flags

I booked in early to a Penzion ( BnB ) called the Uzamku. It’s this side of the bar up there on the right. Had to sit in the bar drinking beer until 2pm until it opened. That’s the Chateau at the end of the street and the St Peter church beside it . It wasn’t open today which is a shame because in the Ossuary beneath it are the bones of 10,000 people from an adjacent cemetery dug up and shifted there in 1530

From the chateau walls you can look down the canal in the direction of Prague

13 bikes so far and still arriving in town. I’m so glad we booked early.

Our apartment is called the historic rooms. A couple of hundred years old with lots of antiques .

Time to pull finger and start moving down the Elbe tomorrow. ( here in Czechia it’s called the Labe )

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Published by Wallis Don