*From Mělník to Roudnice nad Labem, traversing Říp mountain: 19 km to 34 km*

From Mělník to Roudnice nad Labem, traversing Říp mountain: 19 km to 34 km

The classic Blaník to Říp ‘pilgrimage’ walk between the two legendary Czech mountains runs for some 180 km across the heart of Bohemia. It is a popular route, split into seven stages and is generally tackled over a week or longer. The final section of the route – and for many the most rewarding leg – starts in the historic royal town of Mělník and finishes on Říp summit (a trip of 27 km, if starting from Mělník train station).
As there are no convenient public transport options near the summit of Říp, a choice has to be made as to the final destination of this one way walk. A good option is the picturesque town of Roudnice nad Labem, 7 km north of Říp, creating a nice long day trip of 34 km. Mělník and Roudnice have regular fast train connections to and from Prague center.
Both Roudnice and Mělník are both dominated by their fine Renaissance chateaux, owned today the Lobkowicz family. The chateaux are closely associated with the famous vineyards, originally planted in the Middle Ages. There are tasting opportunities at both chateaux.
The route from Mělnik traverses the historic old town center, crosses the river Labe just below the town and then crosses the English park belonging to the chateau at Hořín village (which is also owned by the Lobkowicz family). It then follows the length of the historic Vraňany – Hořín Canal, which was constructed at the start of the 20th century and includes a remarkable art deco Hořín lock.
After a short section alongside the Vltava river, the route heads cross country, through pretty wine villages to reach the bottom of Říp. The summit climb is quite steep but is rewarded with fine views on the way to the top where the frequently photographed Rotunda of sv. Jiři stands proudly. This famous Romanesque chapel originally dates from the 11th century.
Říp mountain rising more than 200m above the lowland plain is, of course, a national symbol. Legend has it that the forefather of the nation, the Slavic duke Čech, stood on the hill and pronounced that this was the promised land for his wandering tribe. It is an atmospheric spot, especially attractive if lucky enough to be traversing the summit around sunset – which was when the header photo was taken.
The final section of trail, descending on the paved ‘normal’ route down the hill, passes through a famous linden tree alley before heading towards Roudnice across attractive open farmland. The view back towards Říp is one of the classic views of the mountain.
The full route of 34 km involves around 400m of height to ascend/descend, over half of which is on Říp. There is one quite steep section on the ascent, but nothing particularly difficult. There are several refreshment options along the way. Mělník has a number of good cafés, including the Ve Věži cafe (in the 13th century Tower gate – map point 3) and Cukrárna Cake art on náměstí Míru (map point 4), which has nice ice cream.
On the approach to Říp there are a couple of interesting refreshment options, including the historic Jevíněvské winery (map point 7). In the closest village to Říp on the south side, there is a classic pub, Hostinec U Praotce Čecha (map point 8) for some refueling before the summit climb. On Říp itself there is a useful chata serving refreshments.
On arrival in Roudnice, try Dortletka on Husovo náměstí (map point 11) or for more substantial meals, Caffé Říp in the restored cultural house has a nice terrace (map point +2). Excellent cakes and ice creams are served at the CUKROŠ café on the main square (map point 13) and during the summer season the outdoor Street Food bistro is a popular option – located beside the chateau walls (map point 14).
For a shorter version of the traverse of Říp, a start can be made from one of the train stations on the Prague to Ústí line situated close to the Vltava river. A start at Mlčechvosty gives a 19 km traverse, ending in Roudnice, while a start at Nové Ouholice (one stop closer to Prague) gives a 21 km route. However, starting in Mělník does add a lot of variety to the trip so is highly recommended for those with enough time and energy for the longer option.

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

Starting at Mělník main train station, join the YELLOW trail in the direction of Podolí, which is reached after 1 km
At the Podolí junction, turn left onto the RED trail heading in the direction of Mělnik zámek
Pass through the Prague gate tower after 800m and after a further 100m reach the main square náměstí Míru
At the square join the BLUE trail heading towards the river and chateau. Follow the BLUE along the vineyard terrace and descend steeply downhill to cross the Labe using the road bridge
Stay on the BLUE trail, passing Hořín lock after 1.4 km and join the trail along the canal (still marked BLUE)
Follow the BLUE along the canal for nearly 10km until the canal joins the Vltava river
Follow the BLUE trail a further 1 km beside the river until reaching the village of Mlčechvosty, where the BLUE trail meets the RED
Turn right onto the RED trail passing under a railway bridge to reach the village and then continue on the RED trail towards Říp
Stay on the RED trail through the villages of Jeviněves (reached after 3.4 km) and then Ctiněves after a further 5.5 km
From Ctiněves the path climbs gradually and then steeply to reach Říp summit after 2.8 km, staying on the RED trail
From the summit, follow the BLUE trail down the opposite side of Říp, heading in the direction of Roudnice, which is reached after 6 km
From the town center in Roudnice, to reach the train station, continue on the BLUE trail for 300m and turn right just before the road bridge over the Labe