Vltava Relay
The Vltava Relay starts on July 1st. Over the course of two months, it will transport water from the river's source to the Prague Castle Riding School where it will launch the exhibition VLTAVA: Famed & Flowing.
66 days | 50 handovers | from the river's source to Prague Castle
Explore each stage on a clear, easy-to-read map – COMING SOON
The water will travel in a special glass capsule. The relay will be passed on by prominent figures connected with the Vltava River. Along the way, the water will stop at the river’s most significant landmarks and other key locations. On September 4th, during the opening ceremony at the Prague Castle Riding School, it will officially launch the exhibition VLTAVA: Famed & Flowing, the main event of the project of the same name by the National Heritage Institute and its partners. The exhibition will be open to the public from September 5, 2025, to January 4, 2026.
More than a hundred relay participants
The Vltava Relay will begin its journey on July 1st at 10 AM at the source of the Vltava River in the Šumava National Park. Along the way, the water will pass through the hands of more than a hundred relay participants. Among them will be castle managers, ferrymen and dam keepers, scouts, hikers, and Olympic athletes. Firefighters, divers, and rafters—who will send a historical timber raft panel to Prague—will also take part, as well as representatives of institutions connected with the Vltava.
One highlight: during the relay's voyage across Lipno, the largest body of water in the Czech Republic, Czech seafarer Richard Konkolski—who has circumnavigated the globe three times—will celebrate his 82nd birthday.
Heritage sites and a rich program
The relay will visit heritage sites along the Vltava River managed by the National Heritage Institute, as well as other important locations. Many of these stops will feature accompanying culture programs. Historic sites will come alive with concerts, theater performances, exhibitions, and unique guided tours.
Cities and towns along the river, along with various associations and local organizations, are also preparing public events that showcase traditional life on the Vltava—such as timber rafting. The glass “Heart of the Vltava” for the exhibition, along with the capsule used to carry the water, was designed by artists and crafted by the glassmakers of Lasvit.
Exhibition and European Cultural Route
The goal of the Vltava Relay is to promote the exhibition VLTAVA: Famed & Flowing, as well as to introduce and support the so-called Vltava Route—a trail connecting significant monuments and cultural or natural sites along the Vltava River, some of which are directly managed by the National Heritage Institute (such as Rožmberk Castle, Český Krumlov Castle and Chateau, Zlatá Koruna Monastery, Hluboká Chateau, Zvíkov Castle, and Veltrusy Chateau).
The aim is to establish the Vltava River as a European Cultural Route, to foster interest in the Vltava’s cultural heritage, and to develop related tourism.
The Vltava Relay is produced for the National Heritage Institute by MCU Publishing Ltd.