July 17th, 2005 | The lowdown by Cynthia Rose Tom

A Trip Along the Berounka River.

When visiting the Czech Republic, you must take the time to explore some of the small villages surrounding the Prague area. Grab your bike, or rent one, hop on the train for 1/2 an hour, and bike along the Berounka River for the day. Sounds appealing doesn't it?

I visited a small but fun-filled village named Cernosice, which isn't your usual one church, one soccer field, one potraviny type of village. There's a river with fish and fisherman, sunbathers, and bikers galore.

Once you get off the train, you really can't get lost. There are a couple of hostels and cafes to stop in as long as you don't mind a few curious looks and Czech regulars. Continue along the bank the Berounka and cross the bridge for a peaceful view, then pop a squat with a grill and some killer klobasa.

On the weekends the train runs about every half hour and less frequently close to sunset. So if you are looking for a trip into the country for the day or maybe a weekend, find the river, grab your bike and enjoy what the Czech Republic has to offer.