Along the Svitava river from Brno centre to Bílovice nad Svitavou: 11 km

• Most walks in the center of the country’s second city – Brno – revolve around tours to the old town and Špilberk castle (here is our suggestion for a route around the main highlights). If staying longer in Brno and looking for another option starting from the center of town, consider this tranquil upstream walk along the Svitava river, finishing in Bílovice nad Svitavou (which has frequent trains back to Brno main train station). This latter walk starts in an area that was at the heart of the city’s industrial heritage and finishes in the dramatic countryside of the Moravský kras limestone area, with is deep gorges. It is quite a contrast.
• The Svitava river flows for nearly 100 km from the hills above Svitavy on the Moravian-Bohemian border southwards to join the Svratka, just to the south of Brno. The river therefore provides one of the few routes linking Moravia and Bohemia. It was almost certainly used in prehistoric times as a gateway linking these quite separate territories. If the future Emperor Tiberius had continued his march towards Bohemia in 6 AD, during his aborted campaign against Marobuduus (see here for more detail), it seems likely he would have traversed the Brno area with his legions and headed upstream using the Svitava valley. Perhaps – sometime soon – evidence of a Roman advanced scouting mission from the earliest days of the Roman Empire will be uncovered by archaeologists.
• So, why not head out from the centre of Brno in the intended footsteps of Tiberius? It is an attractive, but easy walk, which can be managed with a stroller. The RED marked hiking trail follows the cycle trail for most of its route to Bílovice. Where they diverge, it is this author’s opinion that the cycle path is the nicer option for continuing upstream (the suggested route shown in the map below and directions, reflect this preference). For refreshments in the summer months, consider a stop off at the pretty Riverside Coffee stall (map point 4).

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Directions

• From Brno main station, head down Křenová street (or catch the tram) to reach the Svitava river at Křenová ulice trail junction
• There, turn left onto the RED trail heading northwards along the Svitava
• After 4.5 km, at the Maloměřice footbridge the RED hiking trail and the marked cycle path (route 5), diverge. Both lead to Bílovice, but this author prefers to stay on the cycle path, at least as far as the Těsnohlídkovo údolí – lávka (map point 8), reached after a further 4 km
• Cross the Těsnohlídkovo údolí footbridge and take the RED trail to reach the Bílovice station after 1.8 km