Germany / Czech Republic: Bavarian Forest / Bohemian Forest - Four stages through the Bohemian Forest on a road bike

Man, petrol is expensive here! Not that we need any in the saddle, but a "32" as the price per litre at the petrol station is quite noticeable. So this is obviously the Czech Republic, and petrol is paid for in crowns. We should have known, after all, somewhere in the forest there were a few signs with sovereign coats of arms, with yellow stars on a blue background and the incomprehensible words "Pozor! Státní Hranice".
"Pozor! Státní Hranice"? That means "Attention! State border", and this is more of a marginal phenomenon on the country road between the Bavarian town of Lam and the Bohemian town of Nýrsko. What used to be a front line that was rigid with weapons has long since dwindled to these few colourful signs. Not even the quality of the tarmac changes noticeably between east and west. A desolate building with barricaded windows probably once housed border soldiers. The spruce trees in front and behind have always been cosmopolitans.

The border crossing is on the second stage of our four-day tour through a huge green patch on the edge of the map of Germany. At the bottom right, in Bavaria, where the Czech Republic gives Germany's silhouette a waistline, both countries (and a little bit of Austria too) share a long low mountain range without any major towns. On both sides of the border, broad lines enclose a national park, the Bavarian Forest National Park in Bavaria and the Bohemian Forest National Park in Bohemia. Two main roads cross this green belt by the shortest route, but they are not interesting because of the car traffic. Instead of quickly crossing the Bavarian-Bohemian mountain ridge, our route should follow it parallel, on the fragile white lines of the side roads. Will they be tarmac? What happens when the side road marked white on the map narrows to a thin black line? Is it then a mule track? And can you get something to eat there? Several satellite images, websites and phone calls later, it is clear that these worries are unfounded. Nevertheless, we put on thicker tyres and the largest sprockets that the rear derailleur can handle. Better safe than sorry.

You can find the entire article and the GPS data for these stages in the download area below:

- Day 1: Passau - Großer Arber (100 kilometres, 1,900 metres in altitude, max. 12 % gradient)
- Day 2: Brennes - Modrava (101 kilometres, 1,600 metres in altitude, max. 10 % gradient)
- Day 3: Modrava - ČeskÝ Krumlov (100 kilometres, 900 metres in altitude, max. 13 % gradient)
- Day 4: ČeskÝ Krumlov - Passau (120 kilometres, 1,100 metres in altitude, max. 9 % gradient)

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