Much more compact than in the past, without long transfers and with two days in the country. This will be the third edition of the Central European Rally, which will take place from 16 to 19 October in three countries – the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria. The ceremonial start and a special stage in Prague will be replaced by an exhibition event with WRC cars on Sunday 12 October, the details of which are still being finalised. The rally will traditionally visit Klatovy and its surroundings and now also the historic centre of Český Krumlov, near which one of the special stages will also take place. The total length of the race is about 1100 km, the stages are 312 kilometres long.
“The opinions of the drivers and their teams are very important to us. We have therefore accommodated them with the wish to make the race as compact as possible, so this time we will skip the more distant Prague, which in the last two years attracted thousands of spectators either at the Castle or at the racetrack in Velké Chuchle, and stay in South Bohemia and Šumava. We think that the centre of Český Krumlov is a more than adequate substitute,” said Tomáš Kunc, managing director of the Central European Rally. “The WRC cars will not be absent in Prague, as we are planning a non-competitive exhibition and a passage through the city centre on Sunday 12 October, the format and details of the event are still being fine-tuned, as are the individual stages,” revealed Kunc.
The Central European Rally will have eighteen stages over four days. In the Czech Republic, there will be two stages called Svatý Ján on Friday and two stages called Klatovy and Keply on Saturday. The start of the rally will be on Thursday in Bad Griesbach, the award ceremony will take place on Sunday in Passau, where there will also be a central service park at the exhibition grounds in Kohlbruck.
On Thursday, the golf and spa town of Bad Griesbach will be the centre of the action. There, a shakedown will take place in the morning on a shortened version of the opening stage of almost five kilometres, which will then officially start the race in the afternoon. An exhibition start in front of the picturesque backdrop of the thermal baths will then be followed by two passes through the Golf und Therme stage, before the competitors return to Passau in the evening.
On Friday, for the first time in the history of the World Championships, three countries will race on the same day. The Granit und Wald test is in Germany, the Donauwald stage in Austria and Svatý Ján is near Český Krumlov, a picturesque South Bohemian town on the Vltava River, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Regrouping and an accompanying programme will take place in the historic centre of the town, with service in Kaplice.
On Saturday, a new Made in FRG special stage will be held in the vicinity of Röhrnbach, from where the drivers will again head to the Czech Republic. After the Keply and Klatovy stages, at noon the convoy will move to the centre of Klatovy, where a regrouping will take place together with the traditionally rich supporting programme, which is usually the most visited during the Central European Rally thanks to the great support of the city and Pilsen Region. The final ranking will be decided on Sunday in Peilstein.
From today until 1 May, a special Easter discount of 15% on all online tickets with the discount code “EASTER15” is available for those interested in tickets for the Central European Rally. More on the website www.centraleuropeanrally.eu.
Central European Rally Programme 2025
Sunday 12 October
- Exhibition show Prague
Thursday 16 October
- Ceremonial start Bad Griesbach
- SSS 1 – Golf und Therme 1 (GER)
- Technical zone Bad Griesbach
- SSS 2 – Golf und Therme 2 (GER)
- Service park Passau
Friday 17 October
- Service park Passau
- SS 3 – Granite and Forest 1 (GER)
- SS 4 – Donauwald 1 (AUT)
- SS 5 – Svatý Ján 1 (CZE)
- Regrouping Český Krumlov
- Technical zone Kaplice
- SS 6 – Svatý Ján 2 (CZE)
- SS 7 – Donauwald 2 (AUT)
- SS 8 – Granite and Forest 2 (GER)
- Service park Passau
Saturday 18 October
- Service park Passau
- SS 9 – Made in FRG 1 (GER)
- SS 10 – Keply 1 (CZE)
- SS 11 – Klatovy 1 (CZE)
- Regrouping and tyre service Klatovy
- SS 12 – Keply 2 (CZE)
- SS 13 – Klatovy 2 (CZE)
- Traffic control Freyung
- SS 14 – Made in FRG 2 (GER)
- Service park Passau
Sunday 19 October
- Service park Passau
- SS 15 – Beyond Borders 1 (GER/AUT)
- Regrouping Rohrbach (AUT)
- SS 16 – Mühltal 1 (AUT)
- SS 17 – Beyond Borders 2 (GER/AUT)
- Regrouping and tyre service Rohrbach (AUT)
- SS 18 – Wolf Powerstage Mühltahl 2 and the flower ceremony
- Prize giving, Service park Pasov