The Grass Is Greener in Austria

It would be a real shame to be this close to the Austrian border and not take at least one look to the other side. As we say down here in the south: "The grass is a little greener in Austria." This route isn't for everyone, though. Even if the elevation profile doesn't quite show it, you'll still have to climb a few decent hills, and our calves were burning pretty hard too. It's ideal on a gravel bike, but doable on a road bike as well. From Lipno we traditionally head out across the dam toward Přední Výtoň, and the first flat kilometers are perfect for warming up. The rest of the ride won't give you much of a break, though. From the lake, a short but steep climb alternates with rolling terrain all the way to the Guglwald border crossing. On the Austrian side you can coast comfortably downhill, with just one smaller hill left before Bad Leonfelden. The spa town definitely has something to offer, and we recommend a short stop in the main square, where you'll find several cafés right there. You'll need the fuel, because the hardest climb of the route is waiting right after, up to the cable car station at Sternstein. Just when you think you can't get any higher, the road keeps climbing all the way to 919 m at the border stream. On the Czech side, you're rewarded with a long descent almost all the way down to Vyšší Brod. From there it's just the new cycle path along the Čertovy proudy back to the Lipno dam. If you don't feel like pedaling against the current, you can hop on the Lipenka train — but we genuinely love this stretch of the path. So, what are you waiting for?