Czechia · Sumava · Premium route guide
Sumava Forest and Vltava Loop
Forest roads, high moors and the Vltava from Sumava to Cesky Krumlov.
A day loop through the Sumava national park and down to Lake Lipno and Cesky Krumlov. Built from our own track, on roads open to motor traffic.
- Distance
- 251.7 km
- Peak elevation
- 1,157 m
- Elevation gain
- 2,677 m
- Best months
- May–Oct
- Czechia · South Bohemia · Plzen
- Loop
- 100% paved
The route
A loop from Susice south to Kasperske Hory, Rejstejn and Srni, up to Modrava and across to Kvilda, down via Borova Lada to Volary, along the Lipno reservoir to Lipno nad Vltavou, to Cesky Krumlov and back north to Susice.
Works with Garmin, TomTom, BMW Navigator, Calimoto, Kurviger, komoot, MyRouteApp. Import as a track to ride the exact line. Road data from OpenStreetMap (ODbL); elevation from SRTM.
Track vs. route, how to load this into your GPS
What you are downloading is a GPX track, a dense, road-snapped breadcrumb of the exact line, with elevation on every point. It is not a GPX route (a short list of turn waypoints your device re-plans between). Tracks preserve our road choice; routes let the device pick its own way and can send you down a boring motorway shortcut.
How to use it on your navigator:
- BMW Navigator / Garmin Zumo / zumo XT: import as a track, then Convert to Route (or Trip Planner, new trip from track) if you want turn by turn prompts. Keep Recalculation off so it stays on our line.
- TomTom Rider: import the GPX in MyDrive, it loads as a track / itinerary. Enable Follow the exact route so it does not re-plan.
- Calimoto: open the GPX and choose Import as tour, Calimoto follows the track line.
- Kurviger / komoot / MyRouteApp: open the GPX and pick Import as track to keep the road choice. Only choose Import as route if you want the app to re-plan for your bike profile.
- Google Maps / Apple Maps: these do not read GPX. Use the map on this page for turn cues, or import the file into a GPX capable app first.
Rule of thumb: if your device asks "track or route?", pick track to ride our exact line, pick route only if you want the device to re-plan.
Elevation profile
From ~472 m at the base to 1,157 m at the top, 2,677 m of total climbing across the route.
Our track is 252 km with about 2,677 m of climbing, about 7 hours of riding. You asked for 250 to 350 km. Through these waypoints it is 252 km, at the low end of the range. No motorways, so no Czech vignette is needed.
Why ride it
Quiet forest roads, open high moorland around Kvilda, the Vltava and Lipno lake, and a finish in the old town of Cesky Krumlov.
Hazards
National park roads are narrow, with forestry trucks, cyclists and wildlife. Some side roads in the park are closed to motor vehicles: stay on the signed public roads in the GPX.
Fuel
Fuel in Susice, Kasperske Hory, Volary, Lipno and Cesky Krumlov. There is no fuel between Srni and Borova Lada.
Best months and difficulty
May to October. Difficulty: moderate.
What to see along the way
- Susice - Start and finish.
- Kasperske Hory - Old mining town. Fuel.
- Srni - Village above the Vydra valley.
- Modrava - Heart of the national park.
- Kvilda - One of the highest villages in Czechia.
- Volary - Fuel and food.
- Lipno nad Vltavou - Lake Lipno and the treetop walk.
- Cesky Krumlov - Castle and old town on the Vltava.
Rent a bike
Rent a motorcycle or scooter for Sumava Forest and Vltava Loop
Flying in? Pick up a bike near the start of the route. We've pre-filled the pick-up city with Susice / Cesky Krumlov - change it if you're basing elsewhere.
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