Which bicycles and scooters can I ride on bicycle paths and private roads within the Šumava National Park?
Definitely not all bikes or scooters, as some of them are regarded as motor vehicles by valid legislation.
And not every electric vehicle is allowed to ride on bicycle paths and private roads within the Šumava National Park, i.e. roads where motor vehicles are admitted only on the basis of exception specified in Act No. 114/1992 Czech Law Coll., on Nature and Landscape Protection.
The issues affecting electric bicycles, i.e. bicycles with auxiliary motors, are specified in the Road Traffic Act.
A bicycle allowed to enter dedicated bicycle routes and paths shall be a vehicle that moves forward based on applied human effort.
At the same time, a bicycle can be equipped with an auxiliary electric motor having the following parameters: up to 1 kW of motor power and design speed not exceeding 25 km/h.
- However, it still holds true that human effort, i.e. continuous pedalling or kicking, must be necessary for the electric bicycle or electric scooter movement.
- If, therefore, electric bicycles or electric scooters that fulfil certain technical parameters, but are capable of moving without applied human effort, are ridden on a dedicated bicycle route or path, such means of transport shall be viewed as motorcycles. With all the resulting consequences.
We ask all visitors of the national park and protected landscape area to respect the regulations and laws during their trips and to be friendly to each other and to nature.
Pictures from our nature
You can find Marek Drha’s gorgeous photos on his Instagram pages.
