Prague's cycling route network spans roughly 260 kilometres of officially designated paths, marked with orange signs carrying route codes from A1 to A26 for city-wide routes, and B1 to B31 for district connectors. On paper, the map looks coherent. In practice, the experience varies considerably depending on the route, the season, and which section of the city you're crossing.
This breakdown draws on the Prague City Hall's published cycling infrastructure data, Prague Cycling community reports, and OpenStreetMap surface tagging to give a clearer picture of what the official route markers don't communicate.
The A-Series: Riverside Cores and Outer Connections
Routes A1 through A6 form the backbone of Prague's cycling infrastructure. A1 and A2 follow the Vltava on its west and east banks respectively, providing the most consistently usable paths in the city. The surfaces are predominantly paved, the grades are gentle, and traffic conflicts are minimal for most of their lengths.
A1 runs south from the Nusle area toward Velká Chuchle along the left bank. Its northern end, between Jiráskovo náměstí and Palacký Bridge, passes through a mixed pedestrian-cycling zone that becomes genuinely congested on summer weekends. The shared path is 2.5 metres wide in places — adequate for light traffic but not comfortable when pedestrian flows increase significantly after midday.
"Several A-series routes contain sections where the cycling designation exists only on signage — the physical path does not differ from an ordinary sidewalk, and conflicts with pedestrians are routine."
A3 cuts through the Stromovka park in Holešovice, connecting toward Letná. This is one of Prague's better urban paths — wide, properly surfaced, and largely separated from road traffic. It becomes problematic at the Holešovice end, where the route directs cyclists onto a shared road section with moderate vehicle density and limited lane markings.
The A21 Route: Modřanská Rokle
Route A21 passes through the Modřanská rokle nature reserve in the Modřany district. This is a notably different riding environment compared to the riverside paths. The trail enters the valley via steep ramps from street level — practical for experienced riders but genuinely challenging for casual cyclists carrying loads or riding cargo bikes.
Vltava riverside path near Brnky, north of Prague. Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Within the valley floor, the surface is compact gravel. After heavy rain, drainage is generally adequate, but sections near the stream can become muddy for a day or two. The route is not lit, which means evening use in autumn and winter requires reliable lighting. The reserve itself is managed partly by the Prague Nature Authority, which occasionally closes sections for ecological maintenance — notices appear at the entry ramps but not on standard cycling maps.
B-Series Routes: Where the Gaps Are
The B-series connects districts and outer areas. Coverage varies dramatically. Some routes — B3 (Holešovice–Letná) and B7 (Žižkov outer ring) — are relatively complete with consistent surface quality. Others, particularly those running east–west through the inner city, exist primarily on signage while the physical path passes through shared footways and road sections without any dedicated infrastructure.
B14, covering the Žižkov-to-Vinohrady corridor, is a documented problem. The route passes through residential streets where parked vehicles regularly block the painted cycling lane. The lane width of 1.2 metres (below the Czech standard of 1.5 metres) means overtaking is not possible within the lane.
Surface conditions by category
- Paved (asphalt/concrete): A1, A2, A3, A6, selected B routes in inner districts
- Compact gravel: A21, portions of A14 and A18, most routes in Divoká Šárka and Kunratický les areas
- Mixed/shared road: B14, B17, B22 outer sections
- Unpaved/trail-only: Several A routes in forest sections of Prague 12 and 22
Bicycle Signals and Crossing Infrastructure
Prague has been incrementally adding dedicated bicycle signal phases at major intersections. As of early 2026, roughly 48 intersections in the city include a separate bicycle signal phase, concentrated primarily in Dejvice, Letná, and the areas around Vltavská. The Czech standard for bicycle signal indication (a green bicycle symbol on a circular signal head) is consistent across installations.
Dedicated bicycle signal in Prague-Dejvice near Podbabské skály. Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
The Podbabská corridor near Dejvice is one of the more complete examples of separated cycling infrastructure in the city — a dedicated lane alongside a major boulevard, with its own signal phase and clear markings. It remains an exception rather than a standard.
Bike Parking and Intermodal Points
Prague's metro network permits bicycle carriage on most lines outside peak hours (07:00–09:00 and 15:00–18:00 on weekdays). Bikes must be accompanied and positioned in the designated area — typically the first or last carriage. This allows longer commutes to combine cycling with transit, particularly for routes from outer districts where cycling infrastructure quality is lower.
Surface-level bike parking has expanded, with around 6,400 publicly accessible stands recorded in the city's 2025 infrastructure report. Distribution is uneven — concentrations near metro stations and tourist areas, with relative scarcity in several residential outer districts.
Practical Notes for Route Planning
The Cykliste.cz route map provides more granular surface and condition data than the official city maps. It incorporates crowd-sourced reports and is generally more current on closures and surface degradation. The Mapy.cz platform (Czech-developed) also includes cycling layer data with reasonable accuracy for A-series routes.
For routes involving unpaved sections, surface conditions after the spring thaw (typically March–April) can be significantly worse than during summer. The freeze-thaw cycle causes surface breakup on compacted gravel paths, and some sections require a few weeks after the last frost to firm up adequately.