Easy walks along the Vltava river between Kralupy and Libčice: 8 km to 15 km

• The E10 European long distance walking trail passes through Prague on its journey from Nice, in the south of France, to Finland. The section heading north from Prague broadly follows the course of Vltava river as far as Mělník. This section is popular with both hikers and cyclists, not least because because it is an almost flat route! Several parts of the route between Prague and Mělník are included elsewhere in this guide, but the recommendation on this page focuses on the section of river between the riverside towns of Kralupy and Libčice.
• Both towns are easily accessed by frequent trains from the center of Prague and this section of river benefits from having marked hiking trails on both sides. Use of the bridge in Kralupy and the regular ferry boat near Libčice creates the possibility of a 15 km circular route or 8 km one way route on either the left or right banks.
• The right bank route is mostly asphalt and is both a hiking and cycling route. Do not hope to be alone on a sunny weekend day on this side of the river. There is almost no shade on the right bank path, but there are a couple of good refreshment spots, including the Na Dole snack bar, immediately next to the ferry station (so a good spot to wait for the ferry back to Libčice, if taking the clockwise route starting from Libčice – which is the route shown in the map below).
• The left bank route (the Libčice village side) has a bit more shade and is mix of asphalt road and mud-stone paths. It should still be manageable with a stroller. If finishing in Libčice consider a stop at Pizza Cipollita (map point 5, on the main street) for a slice of excellent takeaway pizza.
• If wanting to extend the walk upon reaching Kralupy, consider continuing further northwards beside the river. This walk is featured on this page.
• Note that the ferry at Libčice runs throughout the year, usually at half hour intervals, but can close when the river is in flood or there are strong winds.

Note: click ‘Show on map’ above to go to a full screen version directly on the mapy.cz site. This can be used for online navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file

Directions (for the clockwise 15 km circular route)

• Start the walk at Libčice train station (if driving, there are a couple of free car parks along Libušina street, which runs parallel to the main street)
• Join the GREEN trail heading northwards to Kralupy (passing the ferry station after 400m)
• Continue on the GREEN trail as far as the Kralupy footbridge (reached 7.4 km after leaving Libčice station)
• Cross the footbridge and join the RED hiking trail (this is the E10 footpath) heading southeast back towards Prague
• The trail passes Chvatěruby castle (a partly ruined 16th chateau) after 2.9 km (the hiking trail climbs up into the village – this can be skipped if desired by staying on the cycle path
• From Chvatěruby, continue on the RED trail for 4 km to reach the Na Dole ferry station
• Cross the river on the ferryboat and return back to Libčice on the GREEN trail