The Vltava Relay has started! Water from the river’s source will launch the exhibition VLTAVA – Famed & Flowing
The Vltava Relay, with nearly 40 stops along its route, will highlight significant sites along the river. Each location is linked to one of the symbols presented in the exhibition VLTAVA – Famed & Flowing. The water travels in a special glass capsule, passed from hand to hand by individuals connected to the Vltava River. On September 4, the exhibition VLTAVA – Famed & Flowing will be officially opened at the Prague Castle Riding School during the vernissage. It represents the main outcome of the project of the same name, organized by the National Heritage Institute in cooperation with its partners. The exhibition will open to the public on September 5 and will run until January 4.
The Vltava Relay began its journey on July 1 at 10 a.m. at the source of the Vltava River in the Šumava National Park. Two days later, it will be joined by water from the source of the Cold Vltava. Over the course of 66 days, the relay will travel—by boat, bicycle, train, or on foot—all the way to Prague Castle Riding School. There, on September 4, Mrs. Eva Pavlová will pour the water from the capsule into a special glass “heart of the river,” officially opening the exhibition VLTAVA – Famous & Navigable.
The glass heart of the Vltava and the capsule used to carry the water were designed by artists and crafted by the glassmakers of Lasvit. The color of the glass was selected to match as closely as possible the actual shade of the river’s upper stream. Both vessels are adorned with cuts that represent the river’s meanders.
More than a hundred people will take part in carrying the relay. Among them will be castle administrators, ferrymen and dam operators, scouts, tourists, Olympic athletes, firefighters, divers, and traditional timber rafters, who will send a historical raft to Prague. Representatives of institutions connected to the Vltava will also participate.
The relay will visit all heritage sites along the Vltava that are managed by the National Heritage Institute, as well as other significant locations. Each stop is tied to a specific symbol of the exhibition—paintings, photographs, sculptures, Vltava pearls and gold, archaeological finds, sports trophies, or technical monuments.
Many of the relay stops will include public events, such as concerts, theatrical performances, exhibitions, and unique guided tours at the heritage sites. Cities, towns, and local associations along the river will also host events that present traditional life on the Vltava, including historical timber rafting.
The main goal of the Water Relay is to promote the exhibition VLTAVA – Famed & Flowing, as well as the “Vltava Route”—a cultural trail connecting significant heritage, cultural, and natural sites along the river. Some of these are directly managed by the National Heritage Institute, including the state castles Rožmberk and Zvíkov, Český Krumlov Castle and Chateau, Zlatá Koruna Monastery, and the state châteaux Hluboká and Veltrusy. The aim is to establish the Vltava River as a European cultural route, to increase public interest in Vltava's cultural heritage, and to support related tourism.
The Vltava Relay and the exhibition VLTAVA – Famed & Flowing are part of the year-long project of the same name, led by the National Heritage Institute in cooperation with its partners—the National Gallery in Prague, the Czech Philharmonic, the National Museum, the National Technical Museum, and the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague. The project is held under the patronage of the President of the Czech Republic, the Ministers of Culture and Transport, and the governors of the South Bohemian and Central Bohemian Regions. Organizations in the fields of transport, environmental protection, museums, and civic associations are also taking part.
