By bike through the Most Basin

Everyone has surely heard of Route 66, the most famous American highway. We also have our own Route 66 in the Czech Republic. However, it is not a highway, but rather cycling route 66. It is called the "Pánevní Cycle Route" and, as the name suggests, it leads through the Most Basin. The entire cycling route measures 104 km and connects large cities under the Ore Mountains - it starts in the center of Kadaň in the west and leads through Chomutov, Most, Bílina, and Teplice all the way to Ústí nad Labem. The common denominator of the entire route is the brown coal basin, and during the ride along their edge, you will truly look into the bottoms of several large mines. In addition, cyclists will be able to enjoy views of the Ore Mountains barrier, bizarre formations of the Czech Central Highlands, and especially the newly reclaimed areas. One of the most popular currently is Lake Most, which is just a short detour from cycling route 66.

On today's trip, we invite you for a ride on a small part of route 66, which even children can manage. You can choose the city of Most or Chomutov (approx. 26 km one way) or, given the children's performance, any village on the route between them as starting points. If you choose the city of Most as the start, we recommend the parking lot near Benedikt. Upon return, you will surely appreciate the local recreational area, created by the reclamation of a former mine, with the possibility of refreshment and cooling in the water. From there, the route leads through the local part Vtelno to the golf course. This will be the steepest climb on the entire route, so you can look forward to a slightly undulating profile afterward. The golf course and neighboring hippodrome were created in the 90s on the Velebudická dump, and here you can observe how the gradually reclaimed area blends with the usual landscape. Next is a steep descent into the village of Lišnice with a blind turn, so we recommend less daring cyclists to dismount. The route continues through the villages of Havraň, Malé Březno, Strupčice, Vrskmaň, and Otvice to the edge of Chomutov to Kamencové Lake, where you can again refresh yourself with a drink and a swim in the lake. The return journey follows the same route; more capable cyclists can use cycling route no. 3034 through Údlice, Velemyšleves, Blažim, and reconnect with cycling route 66 in Havraň.

And what interesting things can we see on the route?

In the section from Lišnice to Vrskmaň, we will partly move along a defunct railway line, which in the past was used for the transport of coal and sugar beet, but also for passenger transport. In memory of it, a monument reminiscent of the local station was built in Strupčice.

We will cross an artificially created hill, which the locals call a "kypa." The villages of Malé Březno and Strupčice were threatened with demolition due to brown coal during the past regime. Fortunately, November 1989 came, and the villages were spared from demolition. However, a hill from the stripped material from the nearby Vršany mine has grown between them.

A curiosity is the Maják lookout tower and the Strupčická dalba. A satirical civic association proposed a project to flood the entire Most Basin with water, creating a Podkrušnohorské Sea of Peace. And it is on the shore of the proposed sea that the wooden Maják stands with a view of the mining machines in the Vršany mine, the advancing internal dump with a herd of cows, and much further to the ridges of the Ore Mountains and the peaks of the Český středohoří.

In every village, you will find a playground for a small rest. The entire route, except for three clear road crossings and two short sections on the road, runs outside traffic and is thus safe even for the youngest cyclists.

Consider today's trip suggestion as a long-term invitation to route 66. The landscape on the Pánevní Cycle Route changes every year, allowing you to witness the transformation of a scarred landscape as it heals and changes beyond recognition.

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