Journey: On the Vltava and Elbe - from Prague through the Czech Republic

The list is long. Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh and Ernest Hemingway are on it, as are the composer Bedřich Smetana, Franz Kafka and probably also the Czech playwright, human rights activist and later president Václav Havel. What do they have in common? A passion for a drink that gave wings to the creative minds of 19th century Paris: absinthe.

Prague: cruise starts in the "Paris of the East"

In Prague, the much-quoted Paris of the East, absinthe was and still is one of the classics at Café Slavia. The 140-year-old coffee house is located directly on the Vltava River with a view of Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. Travellers to Prague appreciate the reputation and, of course, the location of this traditional establishment. A café de absinthe, served with Sacher torte or apple strudel, is the starting signal for a "fragmented" exploration of the city, to paraphrase Kafka.

What the Slavia was to creative types, the Český Yacht Klub was to Prague's water sports enthusiasts. Built in 1912, the clubhouse is located two and a half kilometres upriver from the café. A few steps further on we meet Jaroslav. He is the right-hand man of our charter yacht hire company, lends a hand with embarkation, explains the boat - a Linssen 40.0 AC - and then familiarises us with the handling of the Maasbrachter and, above all, the pitfalls of the Prague locks on the first few kilometres downstream. After a quarter of an hour along Prague's magnificent aristocratic architecture, we stand in front of the Smíchov lock and ... wait.

I knew it," says Jaroslav with a shrug, "Smíchov is the busiest lock on the Vltava with almost 30,000 ships a year. Most of the ships are round-trip steamers. So we wait until there are enough ships in front of the chamber."

I'm afraid that may take some time. But firstly, things turn out differently and secondly, than you think. In other words, a boat from the water authorities stops in front of the lock, officially setting the waiting time to zero, and we pass the boat lift, built in 1911, in a record time of just 15 minutes. "Lucky us," grins Jaroslav, heads for the small jetty in front of the Charles Bridge, says goodbye and disembarks.

Down the Vltava: Bohemia's forests and castles

We manoeuvre "Miss Elly", the name of our charter yacht, through three more locks, pass the suburbs of the metropolis of 1.3 million inhabitants and then make our first contact with Bohemia's densely wooded natural landscape. As a mix of "hills like light music ... apple trees, fields and rows of trees" is how Kafka's fellow writer Rainer Maria Rilke described his Bohemian homeland. "He's right," nods Jochen, pointing a few turns behind the sandstone cliffs of Lobečská skála to Marina Vitava, which is beautifully framed by alluvial trees.

Moor up? Of course, we decide with a view of the beer garden of the restaurant above the marina. "Ahoj", the landlord greets us. Ahoj means "hello" here in the Czech Republic. He then asks if we just want to eat or if we are also interested in the castles in the neighbourhood. Without waiting for our answer, he points to the hill behind him.

Nelahozeves Castle is located there. It looks like a picture-book Italian castle. But it's actually an old Bohemian princely seat," explains the landlord.

Four kilometres down the Moldau is the baroque Veltrusy Castle. The 300-hectare gardens alone are a dream." We order kulajda, a typical Czech potato soup with mushrooms, sour cream and poached egg. Afterwards, we treat our Linssen to a spring and then set off for the aristocratic residences.

From the Vltava to the Elbe: a short canal trip

It is debatable whether Antonín Dvořák or Bedřich Smetana was the most famous Czech composer. Dvořák is probably better known internationally, while Smetana is musically more at home in the emerging national consciousness of the 19th century. One of the highlights of his oeuvre is "The Vltava". The composition traces the course of the river musically; the twelve-minute piece begins quietly and restrained, analogous to the two sources of the Vltava, and on its journey to the mouth of the Elbe, the river becomes a stream and the piece a powerful furioso.

However, we don't notice much of this the next day as we continue towards the mouth of the Elbe. Although the river accelerates strongly on its last few kilometres, the final stretch of the Vltava is not navigable. At river kilometre 11.6, an artificial side channel created in 1902 branches off. It runs as if drawn with a ruler and ends after 10 kilometres in front of the gates of the Hořín double-chamber lock. This historic nautical jewel not only lifts us eight metres deeper into the arms of the Elbe, but also gives us a majestic view of the old town of Mělník towering high above the steep vineyards.

Mělník: between vineyards in Goethe's footsteps

"Where should I moor?" asks Jochen at the wheel. The question is justified. The wind has picked up strongly and the branches of the old trees on the shore are bending like young reeds. In other words, with an estimated 5 Beaufort, neither the jetty on the city side nor the long, but by no means more trustworthy jetty on the opposite bank are safe for us. In short: we enter the industrial harbour of the town of 20,000 inhabitants, call a taxi and half an hour later we are standing on Mělník's cobbled viewing terrace between the castle and the parish church.

"Wow," Jochen points deep below us to the mouth of the Vltava into the Elbe. Great cinema! The Czechs have a more nuanced view. In their opinion, the mouth of the Vltava into the Elbe is a geographical faux pas. After all, their national river has much more water and is around 170 kilometres longer to Mělník.

Why is the river called the Elbe after St Wenceslas, the patron saint of their country? And not Vltava?" the Czechs ask themselves.

Speaking of the Vltava: while the Hořín lock closes at 5.00 pm between May and September, the locks on the Elbe from Mělník towards Germany are open until 6.00 pm or even 8.00 pm.

This gives us enough time to visit Mělník's rococo castle and - true to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, whose words say that life is far too short to drink bad wine - to sample the highly praised Bacchus editions from the Mělník winegrowers. While the Weimar prince of poets took a total of 13 (!) cures in the Bohemian spa triangle and is said to have enjoyed a glass of wine in Mělník, Jochen didn't touch a drop during our tasting in the Kraus wine bar. We drew lots beforehand, he lost and now has to take the wheel. Of course, this is not a punishment.

Roudnice nad Labem: Fresh beer on the lock canal

The Elbe presents itself as a beautiful water hiking river: bright yellow rapeseed fields, fragrant meadows and lush green deciduous trees accompany the journey. Every now and then we are greeted by an angler who, with patience and the obligatory pivo - beer - makes his contribution to the local cuisine. We decide in favour of a simpler way of obtaining food.

Just under a kilometre before the Štětí Řečice lock, Jochen steams into the town jetty, I pack two shopping bags, cross the road and a few minutes later I'm standing in front of a branch of a well-known German discounter. The shelves are stocked, the quality is top-notch and the bill is not a huge blow to our wallets. The welcome on my return on board is correspondingly big.

"How far do we want to go?" asks Jochen, pointing to the chart plotter. "How about Roudnice nad Labem? That's the next town." The decision is made as we enter the lock canal. We could still make good time, but the Bistro Nábřežní above the lock canal is the deciding factor. And for good reason!

True to the motto 'just do it', the bistro operator draped a few seats along the lock canal and placed a portable self-built counter in front of it.

There are long drinks and freshly tapped beer. Plus rock and pop songs from battery-powered Bluetooth speakers. In short: the Straußenwirtschaft is a hit! "Miss Elly" gets a parking space right next door, we are greeted warmly, order Pilsner Urquell and enjoy the relaxed view of the leisurely rippling river. The next beer is a toast to the Říp.

Less than five kilometres south-east of here, the legendary forefather Cech is said to have stood on the summit of this extinct volcano and been delighted by the fertile Elbe landscape at his feet. "This is the new home of my Czechs," he decided. Since then, the 456-metre-high Lilliput-Everest has been something of a Mecca for the Czechs - once in a lifetime, they have to climb Říp and take a bird's eye view of their geographical cradle. The social-spiritual experience on site is supported by a small chapel and a large inn.

Litoměřice: grateful for bow and stern thruster

The next day around midday: 20 kilometres, two locks and I don't know how many river islands lie behind us. We reach Litoměřice, pass the Elbe bridge and thus the mouth of the Eger into the Elbe. But with Neptune and all the saints of Christian seafaring, where is the marina? According to the chart plotter, it should and must be near the Elbe bridge. But we can't see it! "OK, second attempt," I decide, turn our Linssen 180 degrees, take another look at the imposing bishop's palace and, sure enough, to port, virtually camouflaged by trees and bushes, we discover the access road to the moorings.

What were the jetty builders thinking," Jochen shakes his head, "the jetty is okay for a 20-foot boat, one or two metres more is no problem. But "Miss Elly"? She's a big boat, so to speak.

That may be an exaggeration ... but thanks to its bow and stern thruster helpers, our yacht from Maasbracht is perfectly positioned in the box in no time at all. We take a close look at the charming old town centre of the 23,000-inhabitant city with its mix of Baroque, Gothic and Renaissance styles. After a short visit to the Crystall Touch Museum - a collection of glass handprints of famous contemporary personalities - we take a taxi to Terezín, just five kilometres away.

history book: After the end of the Seven Years' War, Austria wanted to spoil the Prussians' future appetite for Bohemia. In 1780, Emperor Joseph II had a gigantic fortress built at the confluence of the Eger and Elbe rivers. He named it Theresienstadt in honour of his mother Maria Theresa. 100 years later, the fortress had done its military duty. Vienna ordered the fortress to be abandoned, but converted parts of it into a military prison. From then on, anyone who rebelled against the k&k crown often ended up behind bars here. And usually died as a result of the atrocious prison conditions. The Bosnian Gavrilo Princip was no exception.

On 28 June 1914, the then 19-year-old shot the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo. Six weeks later, the First World War began. Less than 25 years later, the German Wehrmacht marches into Prague. Theresienstadt becomes a "model ghetto", the former prison complex a collection and transit camp for the death transports to Ausschwitz. According to estimates, Hitler's butchers murdered around 34,000 people in Theresienstadt.

Porta Bohemica: through the narrows of the Elbe

Back on the boat: millions of years ago, volcanic eruptions and tectonic faults laid the foundations for the Bohemian Uplands. Distinctive conical mountains and steep gorges, up to just over 800 metres high, were formed over an area of around 1,200 square kilometres, through which the Elbe has carved its bed. Its narrowest passage, the Porta Bohemica, lies around 10 kilometres behind Litoměřice. One (if not the) highlight of the mountain range is a rugged, 100 metre high rocky outcrop in front of the Střekov lock in Ústí nad Labem. On which, how could it be otherwise, a castle is enthroned.

According to chronicles, it was built 800 years ago as a watch over the river, experienced love tragedies and shipping disasters and, with the advent of steam navigation, became an escape for artists and creative people from the industrialised, hectic and anonymous world. Celebrities such as Goethe, Schiller, Alexander von Humboldt, Karl May (!) and Capar David Friedrich have paid their respects to the region. Richard Wagner stayed at the castle in 1842.

According to one anecdote, Richard Wagner, wrapped in sheets, haunted the walls of the castle as a ghost. This is how he was inspired to write his opera 'Tannhäuser' - without reaching for the absinthe bottle ..."

Děčín: detour to Germany, back to Prague

The Střekov lock is the last ship lift on the Elbe in the Czech Republic. The foundation stone for what was then the largest structure of its kind in Europe was laid in 1923. On its journey to Děčín and thus towards the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, the river not only passes through picture-perfect nature, it also picks up speed due to the steep gradient. "We should take the train to Děčín," recommends Jochen, "firstly, the return journey against the current takes half an eternity. And secondly, the water level in the Elbe isn't exactly high at the moment". No sooner said than done. We board the train in Ústí nad Labem, enjoy the 30-kilometre journey through the Elbe valley and arrive at the train station in the city of 50,000 inhabitants 20 minutes later.

After breakfast in a cosy café in the old town, a look at the Renaissance castle towering high above the Elbe, where none other than Frédéric Chopin composed his own waltz for the Countess of the house, it's off to the nearest bike hire shop. As we get older, we opt for e-bikes. We cross the Elbe bridge, built in 1933, and cycle towards the German border through the ancient and enchanting landscape of Bohemian Switzerland.

In the German village of Schmilka, we cross over on the Lena - an almost 100-year-old, 16-metre-long motor ferry. After a delicious raspberry yoghurt cake at Café Richter, we pedal - sorry: stream - back to Děčín. In two days, we'll be back in Prague on the Vltava. On our tourist to-do list there is an absinthe in Café Slavia, a walk across the Charles Bridge up to the castle, a look into Kafka's writing room in the Golden Lane and finally the historic heart of the city, the Old Town Square.

Sounds good ... Only it's not going to happen! Because tomorrow evening, the Czech Republic will be crowned Ice Hockey World Champions 2024 in a dramatic final against Switzerland. The Old Town Square, the Golden City, indeed the entire country with a population of 10.5 million will turn into a fan mile and celebrate until the last brewing kettle of the "beer nation" falls from the sky...

Conclusion: When you think of the Czech Republic, you think of Prague. But this landlocked country on the border with Saxony and Bavaria has much more to offer than just the Golden City. Lots of nature, castles and history, wine and of course beer, good food, the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and neither hustle and bustle nor traffic on the waterways. Internet: www.visitczechia.com

Chartering on the Vltava: boat and company

Linssen Grand Sturdy 40.0 AC (steel), length: 12.85 m, width: 4.30 m, draught: 1.20 m, 8 berths (3 twin cabins and 2 saloon berths), WC/shower 2/2, engine 84 kW (diesel). Equipment: Refrigerator with freezer compartment, separate drinks cooler, separate 40-litre freezer. Cooker with 4 induction hobs and microwave-oven-grill combination, washing machine/dryer combination, coffee machine, 7 KW generator, 3 x air conditioning, heating, bow and stern thruster, autopilot, plotter, VHF radio.

Bohemia Yacht Charter PragueBerth: Podolský přístav, Marina Tatran Praha ZS. The charter includes a Linssen Grand Sturdy 40.0 Intero. The weekly rental price is between 3,800 EUR and 4,700 EUR/week, depending on the season. There is also a deposit (1,200 EUR), final cleaning (190 EUR) and fuel costs (as of mid-2024: approx. 1.70 EUR/litre). Internet: www.bohemiayachtcharter.eu. In association with Linssen Boating Holidays: https://www.linssenboatingholidays.com/de/

Prerequisite: Good motorboat experience. An inland pleasure craft licence is not required, but is desired by the charter company.