A start in the 21st century with a touch of the past
This route isn’t for complete beginners or parents with toddlers. It’s a solid two-day paddling trip where you’ll tackle twelve weirs, soak up seven centuries of history, and cover nearly 42 kilometres. The trip starts in Český Šternberk, at the U Karla camp-ground, where you’ll pick up your boat in the morning – whether you rented it from Bisport or Lodě Jakubec. You’ll end your cruise in Čerčany at the First Republic-era river spa. Along the way, you’ll encounter very little boredom, and you’ll also come across castle ruins that tell stories not found in history textbooks.
If you arrive with plenty of time to spare, put on some comfortable shoes and take a short walk upstream. The Gothic castle of Český Šternberk stands on a rock above the river, like a guardian of the Sázava region. His family lineage dates back 700 years. From the outside, it looks rugged, but inside it sparkles like a fairy-tale castle.
Day 1: Like a flea from the present to the past
You have to start somewhere. This time, you start at the U Karla camp-ground. A place you might choose not with your heart, but with your head. The ground here is as hard as an executioner’s hand, and you can’t drive in a stake without a mallet. We’d rather not even mention the showers and the sanitation facilities, and you’ll have to form your own opinion about the eponymous Karel. But right here, on the outskirts of Český Šternberk, the rental shop will provide you with a boat. What’s more, the train station is literally within sight. So, logistically sound. Comfortably… well, let’s be generous.
Immediately after setting sail, you will experience an initial calm. A stretch where the water lets you find your rhythm and clear your mind. As we round the bend, the trees disappear and a tower comes into view. In Rataje nad Sázavou, stop by the weir and take a break. Although the ruins of Pirkštejn Castle are off-limits, they still speak to us. Just turn the handle of the poetry machine and listen to the sounds of the past. Just a few steps away, you’ll find a Renaissance château featuring regional artefacts, vintage strollers, and one very unexpected guest: the video game Kingdom Come, which drew inspiration from this place and left its own mark here.
Wait until you get to Samopše for a hearty lunch. Below the weir, a cheerful grill master will welcome you with a menu that will satisfy both meat-lovers and vegetarians. Pork neck, sausages, fish, soups, a vegetarian baguette, and MMX beer from Lety in Central Bohemia. The Hospohoda pod Skálou is exactly the kind of place where you lose track of time. The owner is cheerful, friendly, and talkative.
At the end of the day, Sázava welcomes you – a town and a river in one name. Here are three options for where to spend the night:
- Sázavský ostrov camp-ground: For those who enjoy socializing and children
- Pod Vrbou camp-ground: simple, romantic, with a view of the Sázava Monastery; cash only
- U Hrocha camp-ground: Our choice, both with our hearts and our minds.Friendly staff, hot showers, flush toilets, clean washrooms, free firewood, and occasionally concerts. And as a bonus, a washer-dryer combo.
If you still have enough energy, check out the Sázava Monastery. Two parts, two worlds.The first one is spiritual and quiet, with the crypt of St. Prokop. The second one is interactive, featuring a self-guided tour via a mobile app that takes you back to Kingdom Come. Explore the monastery as a knight on a quest. Just don’t forget to charge your phone so you don’t get lost like a Benedictine monk without a map.
Day 2: Food, food and more food
The next day begins with the gentle murmur of the river, which makes you forget just how much your back hurts from the sleeping mat. You have about 20 kilometres ahead of you.It’s no small feat, but the route will take you through a landscape where time seems to fade away and the names of the villages sound like something out of a chronicle. A few kilometres past Sázava, you’ll pass the Pyzuu Fun Park. It’s a bit of a surreal moment when a camel is walking right next to the boat. If you’re interested, stop by and feed an ostrich, for example. If not, put it behind you and focus on the flow.
Plan to have lunch above the Hvězdonice weir, where the U Padyho food stand is located. A small business with a big heart. Hot dogs, burgers, grilled meat… and best of all, the owner is easygoing and won’t hesitate to switch up the sauce or leave out the veggies if you feel like it. You’re eating while watching the paddlers try to navigate the rapids without capsizing.
Just past the next weir, you’ll encounter fast-moving water, rapids, and a channel overgrown with vegetation that looks dangerous but will actually just give you a bit of a workout. If you’re not sure, check the Boating Navigation app. It will tell you which way to go.
The final stop on the route is Zlenice. A river bath with a ferryman that looks like it stepped right out of Vančura’s book Capricious Summer, the Baštírna snack bar, and a very photogenic castle ruin. The perfect spot for one last beer by the water and an epic selfie to prove you survived those two days.
And then it really takes off. The last few kilometres will fly by before you know it. Čerčanská koupadla is the last stop. A camp-ground with the atmosphere of a First Republic-era river bath, the Koupadla restaurant, the Čumenda bistro, showers, facilities, and peace and quiet. Here, you pull the boat ashore, give it a quick wipe-down as a farewell, and head either to the pub or to the train station, which is just a few minutes’ walk away. To Prague, Benešov, or back to Šternberk.
