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.
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.
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.
Program, 19 July in Český Krumlov
- 17:30 Requiem for Eleonore and Adam of Schwarzenberg at St. Vitus Church in Český Krumlov
- 18:45 Chamber Concert of the Czech Philharmonic Deep Brass Ensemble / Masqurade Hall
- 19:45 Festive crossing of an angel on a 250-meter-long highline connecting the Church and Castle Tower
- 10:00–21:00 The Vltava River – Three Stories – exhibition exceptionally open until 21:00 / Máselnice, II. Castle Courtyard
Visitors to the exhibition can get acquainted with the works of three distinctive artists - František Řežáb, Joan Brehms and Michal Tůma, who pay tribute to the longest Czech river in their paintings and photographs. The exhibition offers three different, yet interconnected artistic interpretations of the river as a landscape, cultural and personal phenomenon.