Horice – 300 zatacek Gustava Havla
Birthday Trip
One of my unfulfilled dreams has always been to attend a motorcycle race. This year, I decided to make that dream come true for my birthday and witness the famous “300 Turns of Gustav Havel” race in Horice, which is well-known across Europe.
A few months before the planned trip, I started looking for accommodation in Horice. However, as it turns out, the best time to book a room is on the day of the race… for the following year. After a long struggle and countless emails, I managed to find accommodation 18 kilometers away from the race venue. Now, it was just time to prepare for the trip.
300 Turns of Gustav Havel
These motorcycle races have been held in Horice since 1936, attracting riders from all over Europe due to their popularity. The name of the race comes from the fact that by completing 12 laps of the circuit in Horice, riders will tackle exactly 312 turns. It wasn’t until 1968 that the race was named after Gustav Havel, the famous Czech rider who was one of the best in the world. Tragically, he died in an accident in 1967.
Hiking Trip
After arriving at the hotel and checking in, we went to inquire about transportation to Horice, as we had been previously informed that there would be some shuttle buses. However, there was only one… in the middle of the day, right during the race. A quick decision was made – we’ll hitchhike. Our destination was only 18 kilometers away, so we started heading towards Horice, trying to catch a ride. After about 2-3 kilometers, we managed to stop the first driver, who said he could give us a lift for a short distance. He dropped us off in the middle of nowhere, where the road looked like something out of an old record, winding through fields and forests. I couldn’t believe we’d be able to catch another ride on this stretch, but before I finished my sentence, another car appeared, with a lovely family who decided to take us all the way to the city center.
In the city center, we were greeted by crowds of motorcyclists and the roaring sound of bikes racing around the track. Getting a front-row spot at the track was almost a miracle, but we didn’t give up. We managed to reach the barrier and watch the race. We tried walking around the track from different sides to see everything. The atmosphere and the whole event are indescribable in words. The event was excellently secured, and I don’t regret a single minute spent there. The only thing left to do now is to go to the famous TT races on the Isle of Man.
Exhausted from the day’s attractions but fully satisfied, we slowly started heading back, hoping that we would find transport just as quickly as we did earlier. On the outskirts of the city, we found a bus stop, but no buses were heading in our direction. A little disappointed, we began walking slowly toward our hotel.
The return trip turned out to be much more difficult. It started to get dark, and we hadn’t seen a single car pass by for a while. Our drink had long since run out, and the nearest town was several kilometers away. With diminishing hope, we just kept walking towards the hotel, aware that we were facing an 18-kilometer hike. Blisters began to appear on my feet, and it was getting increasingly difficult to keep going. After walking 9 kilometers, which took us about 5 hours, a light at the end of the tunnel finally appeared in the form of a car. We tried to stop it, and it worked! A very kind couple stopped and asked where we were headed. We explained our situation, and they decided to give us a lift to the hotel! And even treated us to homemade liqueur!
This was the first time I had hitchhiked in the Czech Republic, and I must admit that the Czechs stop much more often and willingly to help. Language isn’t a problem; speaking slowly and clearly, they understand us perfectly, and vice versa.
If my article helped you plan your route and gather the necessary information, I would be grateful for your support in making my dreams come true by buying me a coffee!
