I'm about to head to Europe for another multi-day bike tour - the third in four years.

Why?

I suppose I’ve always had a bit of a nomad gene. At heart, I’m a wanderer - grateful to have a very supportive wife and family. I discovered adventure cycling later in life, and it’s become the perfect way for me to explore the world: faster than walking, slower than motorcycling. At 64, I know I’m closer to the end of life than the beginning - and yet there’s still so much to experience.

Life is made of memories, and memories are created through experiences.

Why Europe?

I love Australia, but I’ve always been drawn to other cultures - their history, food, customs, and ways of life. I genuinely believe that travel, and the act of truly engaging with the world, helps us become better humans. And the world could use more of those, particularly at the moment.

Europe also has some very practical advantages. It seems that nearly every European country has cycling in its DNA. The respect shown by drivers is humbling, and the cycling infrastructure is generally world-class. Combine that with the sheer depth of history around every corner, and I’m completely sold.

So, where to this time?

I'm heading to Prague with three friends. The 'band of brothers' is getting back together having cycled across France, east to west, in 2023. Brett, David, and Stewart, will be joining me on this journey - unfortunately Col, the youngest of the crew, is still a few years away from retiring, so needs to go to work apparently! We will spend a couple of days in Prague buying and fitting out our bikes, then head to the source of the Labe / Elbe River to begin our ride across the Czech Republic and Germany to the North Sea.

The Labe / Elbe River

The Labe/Elbe River system (same river, just different names depending on the country - "Labe" in Czech, "Elbe" in German) runs for around 1,094 km in total length from its source in the Krkonoše Mountains (Giant Mountains) in the Czech Republic to its mouth in the North Sea at Cuxhaven, Germany.

The Elbe Cycle Path (Elberadweg) is one of Europe’s most popular long-distance cycling routes, and it generally follows the river’s course - but with a few detours in places for scenic, historical, or practical reasons. The Elberadweg is about 1,250 km long from the river’s source near Špindlerův Mlýn, Czech Republic, to Cuxhaven, Germany. This will be the journey we'll be taking.

Some of the cities we'll visit include Kolin, Decin, Hamburg, and Dresden, and a myriad of other towns and villages. 

We'll be cycling the route over about 3 weeks including a few days off along the way. Well, Brett and I will be. Stewart and David will leave us in Madgeburg to head to Berlin, then back home to North Carolina. 

Back to packing - flying out from Brisbane, Australia, to Prague tonight!

Stay tuned ...