The Iron Curtain Trail

For almost fifty years, the impenetrable Iron Curtain divided Eastern and Western Europe during the Cold War. At present, all 16 European countries along this line are participating in the construction of a 10,000-kilometre-long route for cyclists and pedestrians. Along the way, you can visit museums and other places where you will learn more about this heavily guarded border and the fate of people who tried to cross it illegally.

The Czech part of the trail leads from the southern border with Germany and Austria to the Czech-Slovak crossing Lanžhot. An interesting place referring to history is the memorial of the cutting of the Iron Curtain 1989 near Nové Domky in the Tachov region near the Czech-German border. Visit the Museum of the Iron Curtain in the Czech Republic in Rozvadov, near the border crossing to Germany. See the period uniforms and weapons on display and learn of the stories of those who guarded the borders, as well as of those who tried to escape from Czechoslovakia into the West.

The route then reaches the area of the Bohemian Forest (Český les). Another reminder of the Iron Curtain is the divided railway station in Železná and Bavorská Ruda. Here, the trail winds within the Šumava National Park, where, in addition to the beautiful surrounding nature, you will also find an outdoor exhibition of the Iron Curtain near the village of Bučina. After conquering the Bohemian Mountains, also known as the Šumava Mountains, a passage along the canal awaits you, followed by a descent to Vyšší Brod. You can find other areas of beautifully preserved nature in the Novohradské Mountains. Pass through the territory of Czech Canada (Česká Kanada) and arrive in the Renaissance town of Slavonice, near to which the grounds of the fortress fortifications of pre-war Czechoslovakia are located. After Slavonice, you arrive within the territory of South Moravia with the least demanding part of the route in terms of hilly terrain.

At the entrance to the Podyjí National Park from Hardegg in Lower Austria, you will come across a restored bridge to the Park's visitor centre in Čížov, where you can see the 350 m well-preserved Iron Curtain, including the watchtower. From Podyjí, the path will take you to Znojmo, an important centre of history and wine on the route, and continue on to Mikulov, where the new Freedom Trail (Stezka svobody), telling the stories of those who tried to cross the Iron Curtain, is definitely worth seeing.

Behind Mikulov, the trail enters the Lednice-Valtice area, an area entered in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The history of the Iron Curtain is documented by the museum in Valtice established in the building of the former customs house. The Iron Curtain Trail leaves the Czech Republic near the confluence of the two largest rivers in the region, the Morava and the Thaya (Dyje), near the town of Břeclav.