Week 3 - Running Water

Vltava River

My wife and I are quite fond of the Vltava river in the Czech Republic because we met on its riverbank in Prague before we were married. 

The Vltava is the longest river in Czech (Britannica, 2012) flowing at 270 miles (435 km) and is categorized by its s-shaped curves as a classical meandering river. The course of the Vltava is interesting because the river practically cuts the country in two as it wanders throughout the Czech lowlands. From the north, it courses through several mountain slopes such as the slopes of the Černá Hora (Black Mountain) an altitude of 1,172 metres above sea level. The flow suddenly turns southeast under the village of Kvilda and continues on toward the village of Borová Lada where Czechs assume the name "Teplá Vltava" or the Warm Vltava. When the snaking flow of the river's course continues to the Mrtvý Luh (Dead Meadow) region, the river meets the Studená Vltava (Cold Vltava) and the river is simply referred to the Vltava from this point on.

The Vltava is a perennial river which feeds several important hydroelectric dams along its path, but it’s more widely known for its scenic views in the city of Prague. Its drainage basin is 10,847 square miles (Britannica, 2012) and has been known to flood several times throughout recorded history. The most recent flood occurred in 2013 when metal barriers were used to protect the historic districts around Prague's city center. One of the most historic spots along the river is the Charles Bridge, built under King Charles the IV, and was one the only methods of crossing the Vltava until 1841.

The area of the Vltava I can describe the best would be the portion in Prague's city center. The river is contained by a number of locks and weirs as it flows through a scenic cityscape of stony banks and chiseled rock walls. When the Vltava leaves the city on a sharp bank, the outer banks are cut closer to the tree line while the inner banks are either point bars or man-made walls and other structures where renovations have already been built.

References

Britannica (2012, October 14). Vltava River. Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.

Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/Vltava-River. 2019, July 21.

Wikipedia Community (2019, June 19). Vltava. Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vltava. 2019, July 21.

Czech Tourist Guides (2019).  The course of the Vltava River. VisitVltava. Retrieved from http://www.visitvltava.cz/en/the-course-of-the-vltava-river/20/. 2019, July 21.