Long walks on both sides of the river Labe, heading westwards from Nymburk: 20 km to 37 km

• The river Labe (Elbe in Germany) has many scenic and historic stretches on its 1000 + km journey from the Krkonoše mountains in northern Bohemia to the North Sea coastline. Indeed, hiking and cycle trails run alongside many of the Labe’s riverbanks. The historic town of Nymburk (situated on a main line train route, 45 km east of Prague) is a good starting location for easy flat walks along both sides of the Labe.
• Good trails run eastwards and westwards from Nymburk. Heading east (towards Poděbrady) the trails are mostly asphalt cycle tracks, so suitable for walkers with strollers. Heading west, the trails are on more mixed paths (some asphalt, but mostly gravel or mud footpaths) and there is further to walk until the nearest bridge or train station. The westward paths are therefore offer more variety and opportunity for long walks!
• The full circuit shown in the map below heads west from Nymburk along the south bank of the river, crossing at the nearest bridge (near Lysá nad labem) and returning on the opposite bank. This is a walk of some 37 km, if starting at Nymburk train station. It is a completely flat walk that has sections away from the river to add variety, including a very scenic section through the sandy pine woods near Sadská lake (a popular swimming spot in summer) on the south (left) bank route.
• If preferring a ‘one way’ walk along the river, from Nymburk westwards, the next train station (Lýsa) can be reached after 20 km using the trail on the north (right) bank, or 22 km if following the south (left) bank route. An alternative is to continue one further stop along the train line to reach Čelákovice-Jiřina. The one-way route from Nymburk to the Jiřina stop is around 29 km if following the north bank as far as the Lýsa bridge and then switching to the south bank. This attractive route also passes through the pretty village of Přerov nad Labem.
• Nymburk itself, which was very important medieval city, is worth spending some exploring, either on this or a separate trip. After the walk, there are several good refreshment options in town but if visiting in the spring or summer, try the excellent Zmrzlinárna Nymburk for its wide selection of homemade ice creams, located just behind the Neo Renaissance high school building (which was attended by famous Czech author Bohumil Hrabal in the early 20th century).
• For refreshments during the walk, there are a couple of pubs along the way (eg in Písty and Kostomlátky) and some snack bars just off the riverside trail (map points 8 and 10).

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’  to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.

Directions (for the circular 37 km route)

• Starting at the train station, join the YELLOW hiking trail in the direction of the town center
• Leave the YELLOW trail to follow the footpath beneath the old town walls to join the RED trail by the river
• Follow the RED trail (or the cycle path by the river) for 1.6 km to reach the railway bridge over the river
• Cross the river using the railway bridge and continue westwards along the river on the RED trail
• The village of Písty is reached after 3.3 km
• Continue on the RED trail for 3.1 km to reach the Sadská lake, passing the unusual river-created sand dune on the way
• From Sadská lake, continue on the RED trail for 4.4 km through the protected pine forests and agricultural fields to reach the main road just outside the village of Hradištko
• Leave the RED trail at this point, continuing along the road for 500m until meeting the GREEN trail. Turn right onto the GREEN trail which returns to the Labe riverbank after 400m
• Continue on the riverbank trail for 5.5 km to reach the Bohumil Hrabal Bridge, close to Lýsa
• Cross the bridge and turn right onto the YELLOW trail heading eastwards back towards Nymburk
• After 3.6 km reach the Ostrá – u jezera junction and here turn onto the BLUE trail, which eventually leads directly back to the center of Nymburk after 13 km