Stage 1 – Along the Jeseníky Mountains
The total length of the section is 79,8 km. We will start our cycling trip in the picturesque border village of Mikulovice – you can get there by train from Jeseník, to which there are direct train connections from Brno, Olomouc, Zábřeh na Moravě, or Krnov. In Mikulovice, see the most monumental church building in the Jeseník region – the Church of St. Nicholas. Do a slight climb along the trail to Písečná and across Česká Ves to Jeseník. In Písečná, you can take a trip along the hiking trail marked in blue to the Na Špičáku caves. In Česká Ves, we recommend the viewpoint on Čertovy kameny, to which a hiking trail marked in blue leads.
In Jeseník, we can visit the water fortress, which houses the Museum of National History of the Jeseník region with attractive museum exhibits (Earth Time Spiral, witch-hunting trials). After a tour of the museum, we will set off. Cycle route no. 53 leads through Lipová-lázně and Horní Lipová, partly on local roads and partly on a minor road. A relatively significant climb awaits us at Ramzová, the highest point of the entire Moravian Trail (763 m above sea level). If we want to avoid it or if we are travelling with children, we recommend starting the first stage right here. All trains, including express trains, stop at Ramzová. From Ramzovské sedlo we continue to Ostružná. We are attracted by the high masts of wind turbines on the horizon, but we turn left and continue along a local road. We arrive in Branná, where the castle of Kolštejn, which rises on a high rocky promontory above the river, is definitely worth a visit.
From Branná we set off along local roads through the picturesque villages of Vikantice and Habartice, with a view of the Králický Sněžník massif. We arrive in the town of Hanušovice, where we can see the Brewery Museum. From Hanušovice we will follow the River Morava on our way; the path continues along cycle route no. 51. Through Bohdíkov, Ruda nad Moravou, and Bohutín we get to Bludov, which is known for its thermal baths. From here we can continue to Šumperk (a) or Zábřeh (b), where we will stay in one of the recommended guesthouses.
a) If we opt for the first variant, we will set off from the church in Bludov along the street called K Zámečku. After 1.3 km, we join a hiking route marked in blue, which we will follow to Šumperk. The important historical town will not only offer us a number of accommodation and dining options, but can also boast a number of sights. Here we can visit the Museum of National History, look around from the town hall tower, climb the nearby peak of Háj, with its lookout tower, or walk to the rocks called Městské skály. In nearby Rapotín, the ZOOpark and the Veterans Museum are worth a visit. The best way to get back to the Moravian Trail is along cycle routes nos. 6187 and 6114; we will join them in Sudkov.
b) If we choose Zábřeh as our place to stay, we will continue to follow cycle route no. 51 from Bludov. After a seven-kilometre ride, we turn right onto cycle route no. 6232, which will take us all the way to Zábřeh, the birthplace of the famous traveller Eskymo Welzl. Not far from Zábřeh, there is a railway trail that is worth a ride – a cycle path on the body of a disused railway line with a small open-air railway museum.
Czech Rail Bike
The recommended starting point for the Moravian Trail is Mikulovice (line no. 292: Šumperk - Krnov).
If you don't like hills, you can leave Ramzová – the elevation will be solved for you by the train. If you get tired or the weather is bad, line no. 292 goes very close to the Moravian Trail. If you feel too tired, get on the train to get closer to the end point of your journey.
