341km, 5099m of climbing, 5252m of descending, at least 8 hours of fun for big adventure machines, and lighter enduros.
Last update March 2023
D1 is boring, so I started looking for an on/offroad route that follows D1 as closely as possible. Since I live near Prague, I’m heading towards Prague -> Brno.
The route is finished after Brno, just past Slavkov u Brna, at the junction with the eastern part of TCT. I also cross the TCT on the other section along D1.
Traveled mostly in dry weather on KTM 890 Adventure + E09. The average experienced rider can do the route without any problems. Dry rideable on 30/70 and 50/50 tyres like Mitas E-07, Anakee Adventure etc. After rain, some sections are worse, typically where there is slippery ground (forest paths in the woods), muddy trail on a slope or grass. In this case I recommend more plugs (Mitas E-09, TKC 80, etc.).
Routes are routed as far away from dwellings as possible (less so near Prague, almost always further away), no prohibition signs, minimum barriers, outside national or nature parks.
The inspiration for this fun is Trans Czech Trail, and the same rules, recommendations, advice and behaviour apply to the routes listed below as they do to the TCT. Read them carefully to ensure the long-term passability of these trails.
Update October 2022: I checked the 15km-41km section and re-routed the problematic part (too much asphalt and an insurmountable gate) with a much nicer route and made it all the way to beyond Brno. So it’s DONE!
October 2022
Update April 2022: If you’re wondering why I’m “stuck” at 118 km, I was stopped by a torn ligament in my knee from my last route in April 2022. Unfortunately, I won’t be hitting the next routes until September 2022 at the earliest.
May 2022
Section 15km – 41km – update October 2022
Length 54km, easy passage in 70-120 minutes, about 70% offroad. Routed October 2022.
A more challenging section around Sázava due to ongoing logging, but this section can be traversed by road.
Downloadable GPX: https://mototrails.eu/D1_15-41
Shared GPX on mapy.cz: https://mototrails.eu/D1_15-41_mapycz
Section 41km – 81km – update March 2023
Length 65km, easy passage in 60-90 minutes, 65% offroad. Routed March 2023.
Totally easy route, one section of 200m technically challenging (ruts, climbs), other half of route perfect. I added a small asphalt detour (4 km) with great switchbacks around Radonice.
Downloadable GPX: https://mototrails.eu/D1_41-81
Shared GPX on mapy.cz: https://mototrails.eu/D1_41-81_mapycz
Short video of the first two sections (the second section is overdone compared to the video, it goes much more offroad):
Section 81km – 119km –April 2022
Length 53km, easy passage in 70-120 minutes, 85% offroad. Routed April 2022.
Inspected in October 2022, still a great and trouble free route.
Highlands to adventure paradise, beautiful trails, few people and houses. No bans, only 2 (open) gates.
In dry weather almost anyone can make it through, in wet weather it will be a struggle in the forest where they are mining (but that will hopefully get better with time).
Downloadable GPX: https://mototrails.eu/D1_81-119
Shared GPX on mapy.cz: https://mototrails.eu/D1_81-119_mapycz
Section 119km – 162km – October 2022
Length 69km, easy passage in 90-120 minutes, 80% offroad. Routed October 2022.
Continuing through the Highlands, a completely relaxing drive on fast dirt and forest roads, beautiful roads, few people and houses. Two no trespassing signs, no gates.
Almost anyone can make it through in dry weather, 50/50 tires, few muddy spots.
GPX download: https://mototrails.eu/D1_119-162
Shared GPX on mapy.cz: https://mototrails.eu/D1_119-162_mapycz
Section 162km – south around Brno to TCT – October 2022
Length 100km, easy passage in 150-240 minutes, 70% offroad. Very fast dirt roads, almost Czech Bosnia (no mountains), few passes through the forest.
Slightly more asphalt due to the detour of Bobrava Nature Park on asphalt (10km), but very nice road. Routed October 2022.
Great plains of South Moravia. A bit of a forest to start, a bit more challenging in wet or heavy rain in one section (slippery mud). From about 15km onwards beautiful, fast dirt roads start, no major surprises. You will only see the districts if you cross them perpendicularly from one road to another. Normal speeds on dirt roads are a comfortable 60-90km/hr to the occasional 120+km/hr. Extraordinary is the stretch there and a bit back along the Svratka River south of Rajhrad.
Thanks to the proximity to Brno, you will encounter more people and more passages through villages. Be considerate. Two entry bans when coming from Prague, in the opposite direction there are about 2 more bans. The fastest sections on the whole route, in places reminiscent of Bosnia without the mountains.
Almost anyone can do it in dry conditions, 50/50 tyres are enough, few muddy spots.
Downloadable GPX: https://mototrails.eu/D1_162-BrnoJih
Shared GPX on mapy.cz: https://mototrails.eu/D1_162-BrnoJih_mapycz
GPX format
All routes are available in GPX format, list points. Maps.cz cannot navigate by GPX, but some Garmin navigation or OsmAnd Maps (on iOS and Android) can.
Why doesn’t “navigation” by route work in mapy.cz?
Maps.cz can only navigate by routes it knows. There are places in each section where the actual route goes differently than Maps.cz thinks it does, or even parts of the routes it doesn’t know at all. In this case, maps.cz’s “navigation” will plan a strange detour, often several kilometres, along the nearest roads.