Water from Vltava source sets off in special two-month relay towards Prague
A sample of water from the source of the Vltava River has set off on a two-month journey. Participants in the so-called ‘Vltava Relay’ will carry and transport it in a special capsule to draw attention to the many significant places connected to the river.
In the tranquil forests of the Šumava National Park, close to the border with Bavaria, the most famous Czech river trickles into existence. This is the river Vltava, the subject of great art and music, and a symbol of Czechia. The primary source of the river is the Teplá Vltava (the ‘Warm Vltava’), a contributing river that rises in the municipality of Kvilda in Šumava, from where it flows until it meets the Studená Vltava (‘Cold Vltava’). After their confluence, the united river then passes through some of the most famous places in Bohemia: Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and eventually, of course, Prague.
To highlight the importance of the river in the history and geography of Bohemia, a ‘Vltava Relay’ has begun that sees a special capsule of water from the river’s source carried and passed on by more than a hundred relay participants. These will be people in some way associated with the river; among them will be ferrymen, dam workers, scouts, divers, firefighters and even Olympic athletes.
The relay began on July 1st, following a special ceremony, during which Naděžda Goryczková, the Director General of the Czech National Heritage Institute, stepped barefoot into the source of the Teplá Vltava River and filled the specially made glass capsule. The water was then blessed by the bishop of České Budějovice, Vlastimil Kročil.
Pavel Hubený, director of the Šumava National Park discussed the choice of location for the ceremony:
“There are more sources here, but this is the main one. The point is that it really is water that has flowed from the primeval forest, and I find that beautiful and symbolic.”
The journey along the Vltava will last two months, and its progress will be accompanied by concerts, theatrical performances, exhibitions and tours in some of the cities, villages and monuments that the capsule passes through. Events for the public are also being prepared that will present traditional life on the Vltava and traditional riverside activities, such as rafting.
At the inaugural ceremony, Director General Goryczková shared her hopes that the relay will show how the Vltava is an important cultural route.
“We would of course be very happy if the Vltava could be included among European cultural routes in the future. Europe has a total of about 48 cultural routes, and we would welcome Germany in joining Czechia and preparing a Vltava route.”
The finish line of the relay is in Prague, where on September 4th the water from the spring will symbolically open the exhibition ‘Vltava Famed & Flowing’ in the Prague Castle Riding Hall. Both the relay capsule and a special glass “Heart of the Vltava” for the exhibition were designed by artists and crafted by the glassmakers of the Lasvit studio.
The Vltava Famed & Flowing exhibition will be open to the public from September 5th 2025 to January 4th next year. The public can find more information and track the route of the relay at https://www.vltava2025.cz/en/vltava-relay.
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