Looking for a high-value holiday that's active, cultural and suitable for the whole family? Good news: You are in the right country.

The Prague–Vienna Greenways offer an opportunity to cycle or hike between historic towns and villages, visit romantic castles, medieval churches and monasteries, discover old Jewish sites and savor some of the most picturesque countryside in Europe. A well-marked cycling trail that stretches over 450 kilometers (280 miles), the backbone of the Greenways connects many of the most interesting sites between Prague and Vienna. Thematic loops that show unique aspects of Czech countryside and culture link to the trail along the way.

A suggested route from Prague features overnight stops in Český Krumlov, Třeboň, Jindřichův Hradec, Telč, Vranov nad Dyjí, Drnholec and Valtice. Cycling approximately 50 kilometers per day, which takes an average of four hours, you can ride the entire length of the Greenway backbone trail in 10 days.

The Prague–Vienna Greenways were created after the 1989 revolution by a group of Czech and American preservation enthusiasts who realized that the countryside would need protection in the wake of a free-market economy. The civic association Greenways–Zelené stezky grew out of that effort.

Since 1998, Greenways–Zelené stezky has been directed by the Czech Environmental Partnership Foundation, one of six foundations that comprise the Environmental Partnership Consortium. The others are in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Working together, the groups focus on mobilizing and empowering local people to improve their regional environment, communities and societies. Greenways–Zelené stezky in particular aims to restore and preserve heritage in the region, developing sustainable tourism at the same time.

"Greenways are a perfect example of how sustainable tourism can benefit local communities," says Eva Kvapilová, manager of the Prague–Vienna Greenways Project. "People are learning it is possible to make money from their heritage.

"In 2001, different local organizations along the greenways united to form a Greenway Association. Over 30 NGOs now cooperate on issues surrounding sustainable tourism, and work on local projects."

One such project is Grasel's Trail, an initiative of the Slavonice Renaissance Society. It connects Slavonice and Český Rudolec, winding through the forest alongside streams and ponds.

Information panels along the trail relate regional history and the tale of 19th-century legend Johann Georg Grasel, a local bandit. Various community-based events also animate the trail, such as marionette theater performances, culinary festivities and tree plantings.

"It is this involvement with the surrounding communities that helps to make the Greenways much more than just a cycle path," Kvapilová says.

For nature lovers, it is remarkable how much the landscape changes over a relatively short distance, from deep forest in the Znojmo area to the lake district in Třeboň, from the lime-rock hills covered by vineyards in south Moravia to the Bohemian highlands.

Culture lovers will find a different but no less dazzling set of attractions. The routes stretch along the Vltava River Valley in south Bohemia and the Dyje River Valley in south Moravia, the settings of numerous festivals.

Architectural highlights include six World Heritage sites: Holešovice and Old Town in Prague, Český Krumlov, the Renaissance square in Telč, the chateaux in the Lednice–Valtice area, and Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.

If time or fitness constraints limit how far you can cycle, it is possible to take local trains to shorten the trip. Timetables with a bicycle pictograph indicate which trains will take bicycles. And Czech Railways offers bike rentals in several regions (see related story, this page).

Alternatively, there are tour operators offering tailor-made trips. For example, the Greenways Travel Club offers customized services to visitors that include transfers of luggage while you walk or bike from town to town, bike rentals and food and accommodation (see sidebar).