Děčín - Dolní Žleb | Elbe cycle route

The Děčín chateau is an impressive guard of the Labe river valley and a romantic place surrounded by gardens and a park. For centuries, it has been attracting the attention of many famous people, from European royals to various artists. Today, the visitors can walk through the castle owner’s apartment, children’s rooms, and the representative lounges with some beautiful views. The lovers of fine architecture will appreciate the beauty of the Baroque stables, castle gardens, including the Rose Garden, and the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the surrounding park, it is possible to find an interesting technical sight – the only chain bridge in the Czech Republic, preserved in its original location. The Děčín Chateau is also a notable feature of the town skyline as it is built upon 51-metres high rock cliff above the junction of the rivers Labe and Ploučnice.

Děčín has the only via ferrata in the Czech Republic that is directly in the town centre. It is possible to climb from Labe embankment up to the viewpoint restaurant via 16 different ways of several levels of difficulty. All along the way (taking about one hour), you will be fascinated by the unforgettable views of the river, the chateau and the town. You can now experience the views from places that used to be restricted only to experienced rock climbers with your family.

Enjoy the magnificent view of the river valley and the historical centre of Děčín town from the viewpoint restaurant on the top of the rock in the middle of the town! A replica of a castle was built upon a 150 metres high rock. Nearby, you may also visit the local ZOO, that belongs to one of the most unique ones in the Czech Republic. It keeps about 450 animals of more than 150 species. Its main goal is to keep rare and not well-known kinds of animals that will hardly be met anywhere else in the Czech Republic.

Elbe canyon is a part of the Elbe river valley close to the Děčín town. It is the deepest sandstone canyon in Europe. It is 300 metres deep, and it is often visited by rock-climbers from all over the world. You can admire its monumental beauty from the river (taking a cruise liner, raft, or paddleboard), from a bike (the Elbe cycling trail runs through the canyon), and from many viewpoints. The most beautiful is definitely Belveder near Labská stráň, which Is the oldest maintained viewpoint of the Bohemian Switzerland and offers a beautiful view to the depth of the canyon, to the opposite rocks, and to the tableau mountains Zirkelstein and Kaiserkrone in Germany. You can learn more about the canyon from the educational trail Elbe canyon, starting by the Stoličná mountain in Děčín and ending at the Belveder viewpoint.

Bohemian Switzerland was proclaimed a national park in 2000 and it is the youngest of the four national parks in the Czech Republic. The whole park is located in the Ústí nad Labem district. It neighbours with Saxon Swtizerland in Germany and also with the Labe Sandstone Rocks Protected Landscape Area. The total area of the National Park is 79 square kilometres and most of it is covered by forests. The protected feature of the park are the unique rock formations and also its flora and fauna. As for tourism, the locality is very popular. The most attractive features are for example the famous Pravčická brána (Pravčická Gate), the river Kamenice narrow passes, Šaunštejn, and Maria’s viewpoint near Jetřichovice. The usual entrance point to the National Park is the Hřensko town where a lot of the marked trails (both for hikers and cyclists) begin.