CKC2601 - Kings & Castles Tour 2026

While Thomas was preparing for the tourstart and waiting for Matt, Markus took Brenda, Larry and Scott for an introducing walk through the city of Vienna. St. Stephens was selected as our starting point. The gothic cathedral is impressive, form the inside and the outside. The highlight was to take the elevator up the North tower and see the city surrounding the place as well as the majestic Southern tower and the tiles of the colourful roof. Afterwards we walked through the inner city, visiting the "Pestsäule", the baroque St. Petrs Church and finaly the Demel, not only a tipical Viennes Coffee House, but also an institution. Heading on we looked at the old government builing, went over to the Parliament and checked out the Stables of the Lippizaner Horses. Passing by the opera house, we walked to Karlsplatz to catch the subway to Castle Schönbrunn. A lunchbreak in one of the typical old gasthouses gave us a break. For the final we walked the amazing park of Castle Schönbrunn before we headed back to the hotel. after the welcome briefing we finally got our bikes and we are ready to roll.

Ready to go! It looks like a perfect riding day. The traffic in Vienna is not that bad and cruising through the outskirts we reach the "Höhenstraße" (High road) . The narrow streets give way to dense forrest, the first switchbacks show up. Climbing over the hills of the Vienna Woods we reach the fertile agricultural flats South of the river Danube. Heading West we follow the river until the point were we cross it on a small unmotorised ferry - just amazing how the ferryman steers the boat across with the help of the water flow. Enjoying the scenery with castles, monestaries, ships, forrests and wineyards we cruise along. All over sudden we turn off into a small road climbing up the Northern shoulder of the valley to reach Maria Taferl , a pilgrimage church baroque style. The restaurant next to it offers beside good food an excellent view of the Danube Valley. In the Afternoon we headf North towards the Czech border. Hills, forrest and tiny little villages line the road and then, in the middle of nowhere we face the old Czech border post. And from there it's onlly about one more hour to Budejovice. We roll into town and end up at the mainsquare, where our hotel is located.

🏍️ Budweis – Krumlov – Prague | 270 km of Perfect Riding We enjoyed 26°C, sunshine, and clear visibility on today’s 270‑km ride from Budweis to Prague. Český Krumlov – Old Town & Castle Our first stop was Český Krumlov. A short walk through the Old Town, a view of the castle, and the Moldau below made for an ideal start to the day. Into the Bohemian Forest From Krumlov we continued into the Bohemian Forest. Quiet roads, long sweeping curves, and dense forest created a relaxed and flowing riding section. Lunch: Roast Suckling Pig For lunch we enjoyed fresh roast suckling pig, a classic Bohemian specialty. Rapeseed Fields & Spring Colors Further north the landscape opened up. Bright yellow rapeseed fields and warm spring air shaped the second half of the route. Arrival in Prague In the afternoon we reached Prague, rounding off a varied and scenic 270‑km day.

🌇 A Day in Prague – Short & Personal For us, a day in Prague begins in the Old Town, among narrow alleys and historic facades. Here, we wander aimlessly, go with the flow, and soak up the special atmosphere. We continue across Charles Bridge—stopping every now and then to enjoy the view of the Vltava River and the city. The castle in the background completes the picture. After dinner, we were treated to a stunning sunset with a view of the Old Town

After that great restday in Prague we mounted our motorcycles again and headed out of town. It was easier than we thought. Turning off to the minor road towards Melik we could start to enjoy the scenery, lush green fields, small villages and towns invited more tham once to stop, but we kept on rolling. In Melik we wanted to visit the bone house in the crypta of the cathedral, but unfortunatelly the opening hours were cut down. So instead we had some coffe the main square before we headed for a place, where Thomas was awaiting us with a picnic. Entering the "Czech Swiss" we found small roads running through forrests and fields until we hit the first valleys cut into the foothills of the Sandstone Mountains. Water formed that partly canyonlike valleys and the windy roads just followed their bottom. Crossing back into Germany we hit the river Elbe and finally we turned towards one of the best outlooks above the Elbe Valley, towards the Bastei. It still took another hour to get to Dresden, wher we would stay for the next two nights. After dinner we had a little surprise for Scott, we were pleased to hand over the award for five tours, a poloshirt with the imbroidery of the tours he participated.

Over a leisurely breakfast, we discussed what the day ahead would hold. We reached a consensus quite quickly: Scott would explore the winding roads of the Ore Mountains with Thomas, while the rest of the group would set off with Markus to explore Dresden. A fifteen-minute walk brought us directly to Theaterplatz. Surrounded by the Opera House, the Cathedral, and the Royal Palace, we took a moment to simply let the grandeur of these monumental buildings sink in. Ultimately, we felt most drawn to the Treasury—commissioned by Augustus II, Elector of Saxony, around 1720. For an hour and a half, we marveled at exquisite jewelry crafted from gold, silver, gemstones, ivory, and other choice materials. After a brief rest to recharge, we took a stroll through the Zwinger complex and then wandered through the city toward the Frauenkirche, which we had chosen as the final stop on our tour. On the way back, we grabbed a quick gelato before heading off for some well-deserved rest.

🏍️ From Dresden to Lázně Bělohrad Today’s ride took us from Dresden to Lázně Bělohrad, with a scenic stretch through the Giant Mountains. Quiet roads, forest sections, and wide views made for a relaxed and enjoyable route. Lunch stop: We enjoyed local Czech specialties — Soljanka and Borůvkové (blueberry dishes). Simple, traditional, and perfect for the day. In the afternoon we continued through northern Bohemia before rolling into Lázně Bělohrad. Finish: A well‑earned Bootbeer to close out the day.

It was along day today! haeding more or less direction east we got into the area close to the Czech - Polish border. The mountain range of the Orlicke Mountains are widly streched hills along the border. Green lush hills, dense forrests and windy roads shape the landscape, small villages are ducked inti the farmland. Compared to the prevcious days the temperatures were low, so that an extra layer came in handy. A short coffee stop in Mesto Novo including a look at the castle with its garden and we headed on. On the short visit to Poland we could test our suspensions, the road was for sure not maintained for a long time. Thomas awaited us with another picnic exactly at the borderline of the two neighborehood countries. Two bunkers of the Czech defenceline against the Germans were worth to have a look at and to learn a bit about history. Afterwards we kept it rolling. Small roads through farm country framed with trees, interrupted only by a few small towns guided us towards our destination. From the distance we allready could see the Castle of Stary Jicin, our overnight city.

🏍️ From Stary Jičín to Kraków Today’s leg from Stary Jičín to Kraków was marked by heavy traffic, but also by three lovely stops along the way. Wisła Mała: A quick stop at the historic wooden church—a quiet moment away from the main road. Pszczyna: We took a coffee break in the center, perfect for catching our breath. Birkenau: A quiet, reflective stop on the way to Poland. In the afternoon, we reached Kraków and ended the day in the Old Town, or rather, with a beer at the bar.

Yesterday evening we got a surprise - but a bad one! the tickets for our tour to Auschwitz were cancelled! But where thre is abad side, there is most of the time a good side. The touroperator offered us to take us to the Wieliczka Saltmines for free instead. So we were picked up at a quarter to eight and got shuttled to the mine. climbing down hundreds of stairs we got deeper and deeper under ground. Listening to interesting details, admireing sculptures made out of saltstone, walking through huge domes, cut out of the rock, visiting a huge underground church, all this let time fly by fast. After two hours we came back to the surface in a tiny little elevator, nine people pressed in like sardines in a can. It had rained during that time and when we got back to the hotel, everybody decided it must be "nap time".

Compared to coming into town it was easy to get out of it as it was a Sunday. After heading south on a motor/highway we started from Nowy Targ on to travel on partly small country roads. In Debno we went to see the Wooden Church of Debno. Unfortunately we could not visit the inside as it was Sunday and a service took place. So we kept on rolling and pretty soon we reached the border between Poland and Slovakia, which also ment tha twe allready passed the foothills of the High Tatra Mountains. After lunch, where we tried local dishes, we entered a road leading on arround 3600 feet along the Southern slopes of the mountain range. Astonning peaks, some of them still with some small snowfields, where looking down on us. Finaly we reached todays hotel, an approx. 700 year old Castle and Manor in Liptovský Hrádo, where Thomas was awiting us with a "bootbeer". After dinner we a special treat: the owner of the castle gave us an one hour guided tour through the sight and he presented it proudly. Interesting facts about the past, the intense renovation work and present were told.

🏍️ From Liptovský Hrádok to Budapest The day started out gray and wet: rain in the morning, wet curves, low-hanging clouds. One of those stretches you just ride through until the weather finally clears up. We made a short stop in Banská Štiavnica—cobblestone streets, colorful houses, mining history everywhere. Afterward, about half an hour south of the city, we found a quiet spot for a little picnic. Drying our gloves, taking a quick breather, the sun comes back out. Continuing toward Hungary, the road became dry and fast. Just before the border, the highlight: the ferry across the Danube. Engine off, water glistening, a few minutes of peace in the middle of the journey. In the afternoon, we rolled into Budapest—warm light, wide boulevards, the Danube in the evening glow. A day with everything: rain, culture, scenery, and a little adventure on the water.

Taking in easy starteverybody had some late breakfast before we walked off to wards the busstation for the Hopp-On-Hopp-Off-bus. Lucky to get the first rows on upper deck we cruised through town, listening to facts about history, architecture and famous places and indivuduals of this lovely town. Brenda and Larry switched to a sightseeing boat on the river Danube while the others combined the bus with walking to have closer look at some of the places we drove by. We will finalize the evening with dinner in a recommended restaurant.

After experiencing the lively city yesterday we thought, it might be complicated to get out of town. But we basicly followed the River Danube upstream and pretty soon we were out of heavy traffic. Our first stop was Esztergomi to see the basilika. We crossed the Danube to visit Slovakia one more time, but the truth is, that there is less traffic on the North shore of the river. At Komarno we crossed back into Hungary to head direction Sopron. At a short lunchbreak in one of the small villages light rain caught us companied us all the way to Vienna. We stoped in Sopron and, which was more interesting, at the Paneuropian Picnic at the Hungarian-Austrian border. There more or less the physical fall of the Iron Curtain started, when hundreds of Eastern-German citizens fled through the open gate into Austria. Another hour took us from the border to our hotel in Vienna. The evening was full of fun and laughter and in a review we tried to rember all the great experiencies and little adventures we shared.

Dear Brenda, Laryy, Scott and Matt, we definitely enjoyed to show you an area of Europe which was closed to Westerners for a long time. Everywhere where we rode or walked we found footprints of history, the most present one, mainly through archetecture, was the time when the countries belonged to the Habsburg Empire. Since the Iron Curtain felt a lot of things has changed. Good roads in great sceneries, interesting places to see and regional cousin turned this two weeks into an adventure of life time we were allowed to share with you. Thank you again and maybe we meet each other somewhen somewhere! All the best, Markus and Thomas