Cycling an Old Railway Line: From Loket to Horní Slavkov

Hi everyone!

On Saturday, we headed out for another bike trip.
I found out that approximately 15 km from where we live, there’s a new cycle path built about a year ago. It was created on the site of the original railway line from Loket to Horní Slavkov. So, our destination was set, and now we just had to get there.

Judging by the weather, it looked like it was going to be a relaxed ride. We set off through the town, joined the cycle path along the Ohře River, and rode through beautiful nature all the way to the town of Loket.

The first heavy rain shower caught us just as we arrived in the town. We took shelter under the trees with a direct view of Loket Castle, which rises majestically across the Ohře River.

After the rain passed, we set off again, but we didn't get very far. Another shower forced us to take shelter under the umbrellas of a local restaurant and get an unplanned bite to eat.

The hot cabbage soup hit the spot, especially as we were starting to worry about our thermal comfort. 🙂

As soon as the rain stopped, we set off again. After a short while, we reached the main highlight of our trip – the cycle path from Loket to Horní Slavkov.

The cycle path starts behind the Loket-předměstí train stop and is about 8.5 km long in total.

The path has a packed gravel surface and leads gently uphill all the way to Horní Slavkov. After a few kilometers, however, the continuous incline began to make itself felt.

Along the way, we crossed a few small bridges and a bridge over the road that the former railway line used to follow.

Another big attraction is the several tunnels along the route – we rode through two of them.

In Horní Slavkov, we left the path near the former train station (although the cycle path continues for about another 2 km). We rode through the town square and center to the edge of town, where we took a short break in a forest park so the dogs could run around again.

After a short rest, we headed into the Slavkovský Forest and started making our way back home.

Rain caught us again, so we took shelter in the forest. As soon as the shower passed, we hit the road again. Shortly after, a longer downhill section awaited us, and with our clothes being wet, we were starting to feel quite cold.

About 2 km from home, the rain caught us one last time. Fortunately, we managed to quickly pull into a tunnel running under the highway and wait out the shower there.

I think it was the very first time in my life that I had a hot grog at home in July! 🙂