• Cycling in the Ore Mountains
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The Sauersack Mine (Rolava)

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The imposing ruins of a former German tin mine and Second World War prisoner-of-war camp are today being swallowed up by the surrounding forest, creating a mysterious post-apocalyptic atmosphere. This destination lies directly on route no. 23 in the woods between Přebuz and Jelení, and a wide gravel road leads right through the former industrial site. On a mountain or trekking bike you can ride right up to the main concrete skeletons, but inside the ruins the terrain is dangerous due to open shafts, so lean your bike against a tree outside where you can see it and explore the buildings on foot only.

 

Photo: Jakub Kapaník – own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=124801150

Other objectives in this stage

2194

God's Gift

Boží Dar (1,028 m above sea level) is the highest-elevation town in the Czech Republic and serves as the natural hub for cycling tourism throughout the mountain range. The Krušnohorská...

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2198

Blatenský Hill and Vlčí Jámy

Blatenský Hill, with its stone lookout tower, hides the “Wolf Pits” on its slopes—deep rock cavities formed by the collapse of the ceilings of medieval mines, where snow and ice...

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2196

Blatenský Ditch

This fascinating 16th-century medieval waterway supplied water to the mines of the Ore Mountains, and its course is lined with historic stone walls and aqueducts. While Highway No. 23 merely...

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2200

The Sauersack Mine (Rolava)

The imposing ruins of a former German tin mine and Second World War prisoner-of-war camp are today being swallowed up by the surrounding forest, creating a mysterious post-apocalyptic atmosphere. This...

More
2202

The Přebuz Moor

The national nature reserve surrounds what was once the smallest town in the Czech Republic (Přebuz), and the entire landscape has a distinctive northern character, shaped by vast expanses of...

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Refreshments on the route
Accommodation on the route

Next stages

  1. 01StageStage 1: Děčín – CínovecThe first section of the Ore Mountains Trail starts in Děčín on the Elbe, from where the route takes you on a demanding climb over the majestic Děčínský Sněžník. You continue past the sandstone towers of Tisá to Petrovice, where you finally enter the Ore Mountains. You then ride along the ridge, climb the famous Komáří hůrka, and the main destination of this stage is the mountain resort of Cínovec. The stage is 57 km long.
  2. 02StageStage 2: Cínovec – Mount Saint SebastianThe second section of the Ore Mountains Trail starts in the mining village of Cínovec, from where the route leads you through rolling ridge country past the Vlčí hora lookout tower at Dlouhá Louka to a technical landmark – the Fláje dam. The route then continues through deep forests via Mníšek, the picturesque surroundings of Hora Svaté Kateřiny and the border village of Kalek. The main destination of this stage is the historic little town of Hora Svatého Šebestiána. The stage is 76 km long.
  3. 03StageStage 3: Mount Saint Sebastian – Boží DarThe third section of the Ore Mountains Trail starts in Hora Svatého Šebestiána and takes you up into the highest parts of the range. You will ride past the Přísečnice reservoir and visit the Měděnec mining landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main destination of the stage is the mountain resort of Boží Dar, and along the way you can also conquer Klínovec, the highest peak of the Ore Mountains. The stage is 60 km long.
  4. 05StageStage 5: Kraslice – ChebThe final section of the trail descends into the Cheb Basin. The route takes you through the town of Luby and, thanks to side trips, offers the best of the region – Vildštejn and Seeberg castles, the Soos nature reserve with its mud volcanoes and the parks of the spa town of Františkovy Lázně. You will successfully complete your journey at the Skalka reservoir in Cheb. The total route including side trips is 54 km long.