The Czech Greenways are a network of more than 250 miles of trails and country roads along centuries-old trade routes that were closed off for 40 years behind the Iron Curtain. It’s like taking a trip back in time to the days of medieval towns, baroque castles, and Renaissance squares, all in an excellent state of preservation.
Our Sierra Club group was to meet in Vienna, Austria in mid May, we arrived a couple days early to get a chance to explore Vienna and sample the justly famous pastries.
A highlight of a Vienna trip is seeing The Kiss by Gustav Klimt at the Belvidere Museum.
Across the street from our hotel, the Griechenbeisl restaurant (opened in 1447!) has a plague pit covered by a grate in the front vestibule. Patrons try to drop a coin into a dish in the pit where victims of the Black Death were buried.
We left Vienna with our group and bussed to our first Greenway walk. It included a tour of the 521 room Gothic Revival Lednice Chateau, a hike with a local ornithologist and wandering past unique “follies,” such as a faux Arc de Triomphe set in the surrounding landscape.
Wandering the Greenways is interesting, we were bussed between towns for our overnights. Then we’d discover the town and interesting things that are scattered along the Greenway. The day hike on the Greenway ranged from 5 to 10 miles.
Lodging was in small towns, we stayed a night or two in each town. Lunch and dinner were usually at local restaurants.
We got to roam around several castle ruins, this one dates from the 13th century.
Our Greenway walks completed, we bussed to Prague for some city life in this beautiful spot.
Of course a visit to the famous Prague Astronomical Clock was necessary…
After a bit more than two weeks, it was time to head home, during a layover in the Dublin airport we luckily had time to get a Guiness!
