Prague to Vienna on Foot: To Tabor

September 17, 2014 • Leave a Comment

A series of posts following David and Gail as they walk 480 kilometers from Prague to Vienna.

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Our exit from Sedllčany the next morning started on a Czech hiking trail, a 'green' trail to be exact. It was a quiet mix of wooded trails and small roads, leading us to the small town of Jesenice, about the half way along this day's walk. At this point we had run into the actual Prague-Vienna Greenway route, well marked and following cycle route number eleven, one of many that criss-cross the Czech countryside in a similar fashion to the hiking trail system. Easy-to-see yellow markers attached to road signs clearly lead one in the right direction. Matching yellow Greenway signs with their little leaf-like logos tag along with the existing cycle trails markers, telling you this is the official route if you are on your way to Vienna. So we move along the official Greenway cycle route, on our way to our resting place for the evening, Pension Mlyn Stare Mitrovice, a repurposed mill building now a secluded small hotel nestled in the woods just beyond the twin cities of Sedlec-Prečice. The roads are quite small with very light traffic, sometimes so small that you could confuse them with a trail. About the only downside, as a hiker, is the harshness of so much pavement walking on the foot.

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On the next day, we repeat our Greenway walk experience. This time is it all on small hard paved roads. It is also a rainy day and we walk our 27.34 kilometres with rain pants, gore-text coats and rain hats. But the destination is worth the sweaty, wet experience. Tabor is a wonderful médiéval city. Think Prague Old Town but smaller, more manageable and with a rural sensibilities. Quite by good luck, we arrived at the start of the Tabor Meetings Festival. Tabor's old town is completely taken over by the festival, a blend of largely medieval entertainment and activities with contemporary performers.