The heart of the Vltava reappears: Satellite images reveal hidden meander beneath melting ice
As the ice on the Lipno Reservoir in South Bohemia has gradually melted over the past few weeks, satellite images have revealed an unexpected sight. The original meander of the Vltava River, known as the "Heart of the Vltava," has begun to reappear beneath the receding ice, offering a rare glimpse of the river’s natural shape.
The Vltava, often referred to as the Czech national river, is the longest river in Czechia, stretching about 430 kilometres from its spring to its confluence with the Elbe. Immortalized by Bedřich Smetana’s symphonic poem Má Vlast, the river holds a special place in the nation’s heart.
Over the years, nine dams have been built along the river to control water flow and generate power. One of these is the Lipno Dam, located near the town of Český Krumlov. Built in the late 1950s, it is the largest reservoir in Czechia. Its creation submerged dozens of settlements, villages, and valuable natural ecosystems.
Among the features lost beneath the waters was the "Heart of the Vltava," a distinctive meander of the original riverbed that once wound through the Šumava wetlands near Horní Planá. Its shape resembles a heart and has been captured on photographs since the 1930s.
Recently, satellite images of the melting ice on the Lipno Reservoir revealed that the “Heart of the Vltava” still “beats” beneath the surface. The first to notice this was geographer Tadeáš Gregor, who had been following the ice melt out of personal interest:
“I’ve been watching satellite imagery from the Sentinel satellite, part of the Copernicus project. I was tracking the ice melting because I enjoy long-distance ice skating. As I observed the last patch of ice, I noticed a darker snake-like shape. It struck me that the ice might be revealing the original riverbed, which is a few meters deeper. I compared it to old photos of the riverbed, and sure enough, it matched.”
Tadeáš Gregor isn’t the first to confirm the original riverbed’s existence. In 2021, scientists from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Czech Technical University used sonar technology to rediscover that the riverbed remains visible at the bottom of the reservoir, despite decades of sediment deposits.
Mr. Gregor believes the meander’s visibility might be linked to the water flow:
“It’s likely connected to the flow of water. The water could be flowing directly beneath the ice, following the original riverbed, or perhaps the warmer water is flowing at the bottom, mixing and transferring heat to the upper layers, causing the ice to melt faster over the original bed. Either way, it’s definitely related to the flow of water.”
After sharing his discovery on Facebook, Gregor’s images quickly went viral, being shared by the Czech Hydro-Meteorological Institute. The images sparked widespread interest, showing just how much the Vltava means to Czechs.
