Professor Janský: Czech geographer who discovered the true source of the Amazon River

In this episode of Czechast, we speak with Professor Bohumír Janský, one of the most respected Czech geographers of his generation. He is known worldwide for leading the scientific expeditions that mapped the true sources of the Amazon River in Peru. His work has reshaped our understanding of the world’s greatest river and remains a milestone in modern hydrological research.

Professor Bohumír Janský is the Czech geographer and hydrologist who led the expeditions that mapped the true headwaters of the Amazon River—work that established him as the discoverer of its real sources and earned him international recognition.

As a guest of Czechast, he reflects not only on this groundbreaking achievement but also on his long years of research around Lake Baikal in the former Soviet Union, where he carried out demanding fieldwork that shaped his scientific outlook. He speaks about the landscapes he worked in, the people he met, and the moments that defined his early career.

He also discusses what geography means to him today, why water remains at the center of his life’s work, and how decades of exploration—from Siberia to the high Andes—have influenced the way he sees the world.

If you want to hear the full story in his own words, don’t miss this week’s episode of Czechast.