The Bohemian Gran Fondo will guide you through places that attract any spectator to their natural beauty and to their architectural diversity developed over hundreds of years. These places also document the precarious historical development of this region.
The start of all five courses is in Český Krumlov, at the elevation of 450 meters above sea level. The finish of all of them is on the summit of Kleť, the mountain rising above Český Krumlov at an elevation of 1084 meters. The panoramatic view from the top is unbelievable, scanning the countryside in 360 degrees - even the Alps can be visible from there (if the conditions are right).
Each part of Bohemian Gran Fondo has something special to explore. The canyon of the river Vltava is the connecting link of the first part of the longest course. The riders leave the river only to come back again soon – very similar to the merchants and settlers who did so for hundreds years and the people from all over the world who do so today.The new 5K MONUMENT course will take the riders to the Certovy proudy (part of the Vltava river) which the great Czech composer Bedrich Smetana famously described in his symphonic poem Vltava. The 5K MONUMENT will also offer the superb view at the two monumental historical buildings - the Vyssi Brod Cistercian Monastery and the Rozmberk Castle, that is regarded as the cradle of the House of Rožmberk, also known as the "Lords of the Rose", a historical Czech aristocratic family who ruled over the whole region of Southern Bohemia.
Šumava in its beauty, but also in its hardness is the main topic of the second part of BGF. The long and very demanding climbs through the well preserved nature will culminate in a climb of the summit of Dlouhý hřbet. Passing on the bank of Lipno lake, the biggest water surface area in the Czech Republic, will be the living proof for riders that there can be some usage for words like flat and even in the local dialect.
The indigenous settlements, originally mostly German, were removed by the forced departure after the WW II.; the whole area was closed to the public and used as a military training area. All BGF courses will take you there, into the Military zone Boletice. The natural beauty in this publicly inaccessible area is so well preserved you even see traces of the former German settlements.
The protected Landscape Area Blanský Les with its highest summit at the end is the final part of all courses of the Bohemian Gran Fondo. But before reaching the top of the mountain Kleť, riders will ride through the picturesque valley and along the vernacular buildings in the South Bohemian Folk or Rural Baroque style which have remained intact. The best examples can be found in the small village of Holasovice (not far from the path of BGF) which was designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 (the historical center of Cesky Krumlov was designated as UNESCO World Heritage in 1992).
The final climb to the top of Kleť will offer you many critical moments and it’s very well possible that the creeping tiredness will not allow you to fully admire the nature and the architectural diversity. But the beauty of the region is so captivating that it will help you forget the misery and fatigue you may be suffering after such a long ride.
And this is precisely, together with the fundraising charity goal, what makes Bohemian Gran Fondo such a unique event.
Photos copyright www.nebeske.cz.