5 tips for barrier-free travel in the Czech Republic

No barriers will stand in your way if you go to the Czech Republic. You can hike with a stroller to Krkonoše, the highest mountain range in the Czech Republic. Prague again offers special walks for the blind. And at Lipno Dam in South Bohemia, you can embark on the barrier-free Treetops Nature Trail.

Lipno: Treetops Nature Trail and mono-ski rental shop

You can head to Lipno Dam in South Bohemia at any time of the year and find no scarcity of adventure. And truly everybody can enjoy themselves here. The beautiful nature of the Šumava Mountains is ideal for trips into the surroundings. You can make use of dozens of kilometers of cycle trails, which interweave the local forests. In addition to a conventional bicycle, you can also take a tandem bike or a handbike, which are available for the disabled at a local rental shop in Lipno. It also offers mono-skis in wintertime, as well as the services of experienced instructors. For beginners or seniors, electric bikes are also available for rent. Another good experience for an excursion is an electric dinghy on Lipno Reservoir.

You can likewise visit a year-round pool with an elevator at the water paradise Aquaworld. And don’t skip the unique 675 meter Treetops Nature Trail, which will lead you to the top of a 40 meter tower offering breathtaking views of the surroundings. The entire trail is barrier free, so families with children, seniors and wheelchair users can enjoy an adventurous journey along the crown of local woodlands.

http://www.lipnoservis.cz/en/active-park-lipno/lipno-without-barriers/

Tours of the Krkonoše Mountains for everyone

So you think walks in the hills are too demanding and the forest roads impassable? The TOP 10 trails selected by Krkonoše National Park in collaboration with other organizations will convince you that walks in the mountains are indeed possible with strollers, canes or wheelchairs. For greater comfort, the trails in the field are marked with special guideposts to help you gauge their difficulty. The guidepost with the blue wheelchair user symbolizes the least difficulty, the red marker indicates a moderately difficult trail, and the most demanding trails are marked with a wheelchair logo in black. All trails for the disabled are marked from the official carpark at Krkonoše National Park. Individual trails will lead you, for example, along the River Mumlava up to a famous waterfall, to the Hucul mountain farm with its renowned horse breeding, and to the natural monument Slunečná stráň (“sunny side”) with its rare species of plants and animals.

Discover Prague by touch

Prague is like an open-air gallery, where you can explore its exhibits not only with the naked eye, but also by touch. The individual tours of Touchable Prague are designed for the blind and visually impaired and allow the city to be explored with all the senses. You will wander the streets with experienced guides who have patched together a tailor-made tour for you. Do you love to raise a glass of good wine or try the local beer? The guides will be happy to halt the tour at any number of stylish cafés, excellent restaurants and a local brewery. Visitors will also find special books that contain buildings done in high relief to the smallest detail, so that everyone can imagine how they look.

http://www.touchableprague.com/en/

Barrier-free Olomouc

The city of Olomouc is, after Prague, the second largest Czech conservation area with a rare, preserved medieval town layout. The barrier-free urban public transport will bring you, for example, to the botanical garden, which offers a unique exhibition entitled Garden to the Senses. It is a singular space, designed mainly for blind and visually impaired visitors. You can also try the handheld OLINA GPS navigation with multimedia content, which will guide you along a barrier-free discovery route full of interesting stops. You can borrow the navigation device for free at the local information center. You need only leave a refundable deposit of 500 crowns. OLIN can also be downloaded as a mobile application.

http://tourism.olomouc.eu/welcome/en

Go to Czech Paradise with a stroller and wheelchair

Czech Paradise includes marked trails that are not only good for families with strollers, but also for wheelchair users. Everyone can enjoy a trail of discovery aroundJičín, which is not quite six kilometers long. It will take you to the Libosad Woodland Park with the Wallenstein Loggia or to Zebín Hill, where horses are kept. You can also embark on a challenging journey to Prachov Rocks or explore the Humprecht hunting lodge and Kost medieval castle. Tips for barrier-free excursions around Czech Paradise can be found on the Internet, and maps are equally available at the information center in Jičín.

http://www.ceskyrajbezbarier.cz/en/

CzechTourism is a state-funded agency of the Ministry for Regional Development. Its main activity is to promote the Czech Republic as an attractive tourist destination. More information is available at http://www.czechtourism.com