Křinice bike trail

A town with a long tradition in the textile industry lies in a shallow valley of the Křinice creek on the edge of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park and Lužické hory.

Offering good transportation options to visitors it is a great starting point for cycling trips and hikes. Your journey starts in the local square on the Křinice bike trail. If you can spare a few minutes visit the House of Bohemian Switzerland with a large information center and interactive exhibition "Bohemian Switzerland: life, mystery, inspiration" with a short film about this region and its heritage.

Next you can begin the trip in the direction to Kyjov valley. But if you want to discover the Křinice from its springs, you can go there ->

The Křinice creek springs are in the middle of forest between Krásná Lípa and Studánka village, about 300 m north of the road linking both municipalities. A quiet and romantic place with rich flora where the waters of several small springs join to create a creek. Its elevation is about 500 meters above sea level, it used to be called Wild Springs (Wilde Borne) today it is more commonly known as Three Springs.

You can get here from Krásná Lípa by road in the direction of Studánka and Varnsdorf (bike trail num. 3013). After about 2 km you can take a turn to the springs themselves. To get back to the Křinice bike trail you have to ride on the same route back and from Krásná Lípa head towards Kyjov.

The valley of Křinice creek was historicaly important for local industry, mainly it carried wood to Saxony. But ever since the 19th century it has been a popular tourist destination, as testified by adjustements and romatic names of nearby natural rock formations − Brotherly stones, Lions cave (or Bears den), Treasury, Fairy Cave, Wine Cellar. The Kyjov valley is thanks to its ambience truly unforgettable. It consists of a canyon surrounded by tall rocks and rock formations, through which the Křinice creek flows further to Zadní Doubice, which is our next stop.

You can also take a side trip on foot or by bike to Vlčí Hora ->

An alternative trail past Vlčí hora offers an ascent through Dlouhý důl with its beautiful traditional houses up to the Vlčí Hora village, from where you can go on foot to the top of a local hill Vlčí Hora with an observatory tower that offers amazing views of the surrounding scenery. To get back on the track of Křinice bike trail you have to follow the road down to Brtníky village and then to another small village of Kopec from where you ride through a rocky valley to Brtnický bridge in the Křinice valley where you rejoin with the main trail (about 1 km prior to Zadní Doubice).

The former settlement of Zadní Doubice lies to the left and also the Czech bank of Křinice creek right before a border crossing. On the oposite bank is where Saxony starts. Only small parts of walls and cellars remain as the only visible signs of the settlement. About 400 m downstream from the border crossing the ruins of Český mlýn, a very popular Inn in its time can be found. Just before the border bridge you can also explore the Temný důl, where lies a stone well and a memorial to the victims of the marches of death from the Second World War.

The cycling trail continues over the border bridge into Saxony. At the next crossing near the ruins of Český mlýn is your next opportunity to take another side trail to the Weifberg observatory tower -> or you can stick to the main road and ride through the Křinice valley to the old mill Niederemühle which is a very romantic place.

What lies ahead? The longest ascent on the whole trail up to Hinterhermsdorf.

If you decide to visit the Weifberg observatory tower which lies north of Hinterhermsdorf, you can look forward to an awesome view of the landscape of both national parks with the peaks of Velký and Malý Winterberg, table mountains Königstein and Lilienstein, the peaks of Tanečnice, Růžák, Jedlová and even Studenec in Lužické mountains. With good visibility you can even see Milešovka.

This side trail enables you to leave the Křinice bike trail and get back to Czech Republic to the town of Mikulášovice where on weekends you can catch a train to Rumburk or Krásná Lípa. If you decide to continue back to the Křinice, you have to ride to Hinterhermsdorf where you get back on the main route.

The Křinice Creek was for a long time being used as a transportation channel for timber. Which was floating all the way to Bad Badschandau where Křinice meets the Elbe river. To regulate the flow of water and its level people built small dams on the creek. On your way you will encounter one of the remaining dams‘ Obere Schleuse‘ the only other preserved dam is Niedere Schleuse (Dolní splav - 1612), where you stand right now. Thanks to restoration between 1985-93 the dam is fully functional and on information boards you can explore its original function and the integral part it played in forestry in this region.

Between this stop and the next point of interest called Neumannmühle is an oportunity to explore another side trail named after an old lodge the Zeughaus Strasse. You can explore this trail here ->

If you stick to the main route you will encounter Neumannmühle.

The side trail on the Zeughaus Strass is more demanding and features three uphill and three downhill sections on gravel or even paved roads. But it will lead you through some of the most interesting spots in the sandstone gorges and valleys of the Saxon Switzerland, offering beautiful viewpoints to more able cyclists and it even leads you to the edge of the first and most precious zone of the national park. To give your weary legs a bit of a rest, you can stop for a refreshment in the old lodge Zeughaus in the Grosser Schand gorge. You can even make two other stops and climb on the surrounding rock columns on foot. First is the Teichstein (a trail on a narrow ridge), the second is Winterstein (and also Zadní Loupežný hrad/Hinteres Raubschloss – where you can climb on steps carved in the sandstone and even on ladders). Both places belong to the most beautiful viewpoints in the Saxon Switzerland.

This trail will eventually lead you back to the banks of Křinice. And although it is a wonderfull trail you will miss other interesting and beautiful places allong the main route - Neumannmühle, Kuhstall a Lichtenheiner Wasserfall so choose wisely.