Trip to Simson and Rybičková Rock

Not only for railway fans

The 20-kilometre bike trip starts at the main train station in Brno, from where you head to the station Zastávka u Brna (line S4, R11). The Regional Information Centre Zastávka is located right at the station, so if you are interested in anything about the area, they will be able to give you insider advice. 

Get on your bike and head to the railway crossing on the 5173 bike path. Yellow signs will lead you past the former Ferdinand mine site to Babice. Stop at the Museum of Industrial Railways just outside the village. Do the local knotty rails look like a version for children? It was on these rails that coal carts used to run. And when mining stopped, enthusiasts and volunteers at the Museum of Industrial Railways restored the track. With due enthusiasm they present heaps of technical pieces from steam locomotives to railway "trucks". (If you take the trip on foot and choose the right date for it, you can take a train from the station in Zastávka along the narrow gauge to Zbýšov.) 

Zbýšov views down to the mines

In Zbýšov, at the end of Havířská street, you'll have a steep climb up roads where trucks carried rocks from the underground for many years - Of course, unless you're training for an ironman, leave your bikes at the bottom of the hill. The reward for the climb is a royal view of Oslavany and the former site of the Antonín, Jindřich and Jindřich II mines. 

Elegant Simson

You're not done in Zbýšov yet - You can see the beautiful Art Nouveau tower of the Simson mine from afar. The mine was one of the oldest in the area. Mining began in the middle of the 19th century here. The tower is a technical monument and is not usually accessible. It opens for the September Mining Festival and also on some summer weekends in connection to the narrow-gauge railroad ride, so check out their website before your trip. Inside is a tiny museum, which is being continually improved by volunteers from former miners in Zbýšov.

Once a brickyard, now a picnic paradise

Just after Zbýšov, go down to the clearing. After a few hundred metres you will reach the historic brickyard. Local enthusiasts have restored it and elevated the resting place into a great picnic opportunity. And it is here that you can finally show your children how nice it is to spend the night under the stars and fall asleep overlooking the stars.

A cool history lesson (prehistory chapter)

Just 400 metres from the brickyard (about 400 metres following the local signs, then the green tourist signs) discover a treasure. The Rybičková rock is a natural monument whimsically named "fish rock" after the fish "trapped" in the slate rock in the ancient protohistoric era. The rock "canvas" will show you the fossilized imprints of fish and plants on a 40-meter section.

(Hungry for a proper restaurant lunch? A good time in Neslovice will not disappoint you - Turn right on the main road.) Otherwise, turn left into Kratochvilka. A short distance past the municipal office, a relaxed bike path starts leading to the Rosice game reserve with a nature trail.

Movie-like scenery

Be sure to head to the Rosice "lighthouse", as the locals call the Chapel of the Holy Trinity. Why are we inviting you there? You'll never find such charming scenery. The Baroque chapel itself is like a painting and looks as if God himself planted it in the landscape. There is a beautiful linden ally leading to it (a great opportunity to tell your descendants about the Czech national tree) and a Stations of the Cross in the form of 12 stone monuments.

From here you head to the railway station.

Can you still manage more?

Or you can man up and extend your journey. Which way? Climb the stairs to Rosice Square. It was shaped by the local coal miners, the Rahns, who were to this region what the Ewings of Southfork were to Dallas.

Visit the castle for toys and nuclear shelter

Are you into castles? The local castle is an elegant Renaissance gem, plus it features toys, a torture chamber and a nuclear shelter. Do you have children with you? Give them a stress-free history lesson. You can show them the Renaissance (like the handsome sgraffiti on the facade) as well as the Baroque and Classicism (like the paintings in the chapel). Experts from all over the world come to see the local breathtaking ceilings. Are you surprised by the nuclear shelter? You'll actually see it on the tour! Or opt for the second tour, which takes you into the chapel and ornate chambers. The local toy exhibit has pieces dating from the 1950s to today. Plus, it's pretty busy during the season, and if you check the website in advance, you might hit the dates for a jousting competition or an evening costume tour. (In September, you can experience the popular Garlic Festival here.) And you can fulfill one of our 15 tips for adventures with kids - Experience the blackest darkness and the quietest silence!

And how to get back?

You can get back to Zastávka by following the path in the game preserve, which runs close to the tracks.

And where to experience the right mining atmosphere? Come eat and drink!

In the Worker's house in Zastávka and in the Miner's House in Zbýšov you will feel something like a mining atmosphere. Both places serve home-cooked meals at reasonable prices. Want to taste the hit of former regulars? In the Tatras they sip the local chučorietková (rum with pickled blueberries), here order a "koks". It's rum and a few grains of coffee. You chew them and pour the rum over them. A shot like that will give you energy for the journey ahead! Good quality is also offered by Dobrá chvíle in Neslovice.

Extra tip GO WITH STEAM TO THE MINERS

We'll also throw in a tip for an unusual experience that can only be done once in July and once in August each year - Dates at www.mikroregionkahan.cz.

In Zastávka you will board a steam engine train that will take you to the Museum of Industrial Railways (MPŽ). The entire museum transforms into a mining theme. In addition to seeing cars and locomotives used in mines, you'll see a collection of stones extracted from the local underground. And you'll see men getting ready for a shift, just about to get down into the mine. From there, head to the Simson Mining Tower, which is exclusively open for these days.You will be guided with great enthusiasm by members of the Zbýšov History Society. Afterwards, head to the historic brickyard, which supplied building materials to the local mining colonies. Climb up to the Zbýšov heap and then take the train from MPŽ back to Zastávka.