Rev Up Your Spirit: Discover the Historic Zbraslav to Jíloviště Ride and the Racing Legends Behind It

Same hill, same challenge, become part of the legend!

The well-known International race Zbraslav – Jíloviště was first held from 1908 to 1931, where competitors raced to see who could go the fastest. Since 1968, the Veteran Car Club Prague has been organizing it as a regularity event. On Saturday, the focus is on cars and motorcycles manufactured up to 1939. Each year, around two hundred of these vehicles arrive to participate in the race, which kicks off the first weekend in September with a regularity challenge starting from Zbraslav Square. Today, this race honors the history of these vehicles, and participants get the unique opportunity to drive up the hill just like racing legends did.

This year, on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at 8:00 a.m., cars will be showcased on the square in Zbraslav. By 1:00 p.m., the traditional uphill rides to Jíloviště begin. This event is charmingly named The race of elegance and courage for the Eliška Junková traveling cup.

On Sunday, September 7, 2025, the cars will be on display in Jíloviště during the morning hours, followed by an orientation ride through the Central Bohemia Region called An expedition through time to Jiří Kristián Lobkowicz. The final destination will be Mělník Castle, where participants will be welcomed at the Lobkowicz mansion, and there will be a tour showcasing artefacts related to the racer Jiří Kristián Lobkowicz, who notably finished fourth in the Grand Prix at the Masaryk Circuit in 1931, the best placement ever achieved by a Czech driver in this prestigious global car race.

Bugattis, Aera, Prags and Tatras on the race track

The race route starts from the square in Zbraslav, continues along a secondary road to Mines, and finishes at the top of Cukrák Hill near Jíloviště. The track length is approximately 4,000 meters with an elevation gain of 163 meters. The average incline is about 3.6%, with the steepest section right after the start at a hill known as Špejchar (with a 9% grade). There are no traffic restrictions on the streets. Organized by the Veteran Car Club Prague, this ride is part of the championship Historic Car Grand Prix for the President’s Cup of the Autoclub of the Czech Republic.

This event typically showcases twenty Bugatti vehicles, which have their dedicated category. Notably, it was in a Bugatti that the famous First Republic racer Eliška Junková made history in 1926 by becoming the fastest woman in the world. She later played a significant role in the development of the Masaryk Circuit in Brno. Other traditional participants include Czech cars such as Aero, Praga, Tatra, and Wikov, along with foreign models like Jaguar, MG, and many more.