Day 3 on the Elbe Cycle Trail

A pleasantly chilly morning!

We started the morning with breakfast at the little bakery just below our hotel—fresh fruit kolaches and hearty sandwiches that fueled us up for the day.

The ride today was tiring but lovely, with long stretches of peaceful river trails.

We passed kids paddle boarding on the Elbe, clearly making the most of the late-summer sunshine.

Cycling through the old town of Pardubice meant cobblestone streets, charming buildings, and a search for lunch that led us to a Nepalese restaurant.

An unexpected find, and so delicious!

In nearly every town we’ve visited, we see these tall, ornate stone columns topped with a statue of the Virgin Mary. They’re called Marian Columns and they were often built in the 17th and 18th centuries to thank God for deliverance from plagues, wars, or disasters, and today they’re still a central landmark in many Czech squares.

Ice cream break! This time at a beer & ice cream truck. A pairing only the Czechs could perfect.

After 55 miles in the saddle, we rolled into Týnec nad Labem, a small historic town along the Elbe. Tonight we’re camping!

With few lodging options in town, we found the local marina’s renovated camper trailers, which they rent out to travelers.

It’s a fun twist on our usual routine, and the campground even has a beer garden!

Tonight, we did a very American thing and ordered burgers—and over our pints we went down a rabbit hole to confirm whether hamburgers are truly American. Turns out they are, despite the “Hamburg” name. Leave it to Google to settle debates like this!

Here’s a quick visual to show the ground we covered today (55 miles) and where we’re planning to end up when this 780 mile (1200 km) adventure ends.

And before signing off, I have a quick story for today:

Not everything on the trail is about bikes and beer gardens. Sometimes it’s about… airflow.

Our camper trailer was feeling a little warm, so I bravely marched to the marina reception and asked if we could rent or borrow a fan. Our host spoke just enough English that Google Translate stayed in my pocket. She nodded enthusiastically, dashed to the back, and returned with… something.

Back at the camper, I plugged it in, ready for sweet relief. Instead of a cooling breeze, though, I got the roar of… the strangest hairdryer I’ve ever seen.

So no, we did not get a fan that night. But we did get a good laugh, a funny story, and a photo of our “Czech fan” that we’ll probably still be chuckling about years from now.

That’s all for tonight! Na shledanou!