The Rivers of Vltava and Elbe
The Elbe and Vltava are the two largest rivers in The Czech Republic. At the same time, they are the most important water routes for big sail.
Near the shore, you can be sure to find a lot of places worth visiting.
Interesting places on the rivers
Prague, Nalahozeves, Mělník, Roudnice nad Labem...these are the towns among many other interesting places you can visit and experience from a new perspective while sailing on one of our river boats and yachts, which are very comfortable and fully equipped.
You can reach places that are not easily accessible from land, for example The Falls of Krňanský. You will see breathtaking natural sceneries of Bílé skály (White Rocks) near Svatojánských Currents and the observation point Máj.
Try for yourself what it is like to sail through lock chambers, the most beautiful of which is perhaps The Lock of Hořín and Štěchovice.
You will see a lot of castles, chateaux, churches and other historical landmarks, including The Chateau of Veltrusy, Nelahozeves, Zbraslav, Levý Hradec, etc.
You will refresh yourself with lunch or dinner or just with a glass of wine or beer, which we Czechs are very proud of. We recommend a rambler pub U Taterů, marina Fregata and Nelahozeves, not to mention the restaurant inside the zoo in Zelčín.
On board of our boats, you will enjoy a buffet lunch or dinner.
The River Vltava
With its length of 433 km, it is the longest river in The Czech Republic. It has its source in Šumava, runs through e. g. Český Krumlov, České Budějovice and Prague, and it empties on the left into the Elbe in Mělník. The drainage area of The Vltava with its affluents of Malše, Otava, Lužnice, Sázava and Berounka occupies the south part of Bohemia together with The Elbe, whose tributary is Vltava, and it creates a system which drains almost the whole of Bohemia. The drainage area of this river is 28 090 square kilometres (of which 27 006,70 square kilometres are in The Czech Republic).
The River Elbe
It is one of the longest rivers in Europe. It has its source in The Giant Mountains in the north of Bohemia, runs through Germany and empties by estuary into The North Sea. It is almost the only Czech river whose gender is not feminine (in The German language, however, it is feminine). It is 1154 km long (in Bohemia 358,3). Its drainage area is 144 055 square kilometres (in The Czech Republic 51 394 square kilometres). At its confluence with The Vltava, it has a smaller flow and it is shorter from its source, but The Elbe is not considered the tributary of The Vltava. The entire length of the course of Černý potok, Teplá Vltava, The Vltava and The Elbe from its confluence with The Vltava until it empties into the sea is 1329 km.
The Elbe got its name from The Celts, who were inhabiting its drainage area (including the area of The Czech Republic) during The Old Ages. The original Celtic word (perhaps ´elb´) simply meant “(big) river” and it appears in the names of many rivers in Sweden (alv, Lule alv, Pite alv, etc). According to some sources, its name is of Indo-European origin, which means white, bright, clear. In Antique sources, the river is mentioned as The Albis, meaning white, bright, clear. Its Czech name is probably derived from The Germanic word Alba, with the help of an anagram. The Elbe is said to be the only Czech river whose gender is not feminine.
Thanks to The Celts, The Vltava is considered as the tributary of The Elbe, not on the contrary, although The Vltava is considerably longer and it has a bigger flow.
