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Vltava waterway

On a small vessel from the center of České Budějovice to Prague, or Mělník.

Within the Vltava waterway you can go from the center of České Budějovice on a small boat from Lanna Shipyard all the way to Prague.

You will go through beautiful scenery past many monuments where you can stop and make a little trip on land. You can also explore the side flows. In Týn nad Vltavou you can take a turn to the Lužnice River to Koloděje with the renovated Mitrowicz Castle or to the Otava River Valley. You can go through the entire Vltava Cascade to the center of Prague - pass under Charles Bridge, Prague Castle and other magnificent monuments.

The section behind Prague is no longer suitable for recreational cruises due to the use of the river for industry and a larger number of cargo ships. The exception is the surroundings of Nelahozeves, which is attractive for river tourism.

Vessel Restrictions

  • The most restrictive section of the whole Vltava waterway is the Orlická Reservoir. To overcome it, your vessel must be up to 3 meters wide and weigh up to 3.5 tons.
  • There is a bridge in Týn nad Vltavou, below which only ships up to 3 meters high can go.

Waterway services offer

  • You will need a houseboat to sail down the whole section, but you can also borrow one that you do not need VMP for (small boat leader license - ship control test).
  • If you want full service, you get it on a cruise ship.
  • For one-way transport, you can use regular tourist lines that run in the summer season only. However, each section is provided by a different company, so the continuity of the individual lines may not be perfect along the entire Vltava waterway.

Lock chambers are not always open and sometimes need to be booked, see lock operating hours.

Fun on the Voyage

You can enjoy many other activities around the Vltava River:

  • Cycling (bicycle rentals and cycle paths along the Vltava river).
  • In line skates.
  • Paddleboard, seakayak.
  • Scooter.
  • Walking tours to sights and natural scenery.