The Vltava downstream

The trip begins in Nelahozeves, a small town that looks like a mixture of a Bohemian village and a picture-book setting. Nelahozeves Castle towers directly over the river, which, according to the host, “looks like an Italian picture-book castle”, but is actually an old Bohemian princely seat – a perfect first shore leave before casting off. Even here you can sense that this vacation is the ideal combination of culture and relaxed boating.

From the houseboat base, the boat follows the Vltava downstream, past green banks, apple trees and small harbors where you can spontaneously stop for a coffee or a beer. Just a few kilometers further on, the baroque Veltrusy Castle with its 300-hectare park is a dream setting for a stroll through the countryside. Back on board, the journey continues towards the estuary, the river widens and the surroundings open up – just like in Smetana’s “The Vltava”, only in real life from the sun deck.

At river kilometer 11.6, the dead-straight side channel finally branches off to the Hořín double lock, a historic nautical jewel from 1902, which lifts the boat around eight meters down into the Elbe. Up on the terrace of Melnik, between the castle and parish church, you can then enjoy the view of the mouth of the Vltava and Vltava Canal into the Elbe and taste the region’s famous Bacchus wines. If you still have time and desire, continue downstream through an agricultural area, above which the legendary Říp mountain rises, over vineyards and conical hills of the Bohemian Central Mountains to Litoměřice, up to the Bohemian Gate and the legendary Střekov Castle, where Richard Wagner composed the famous opera Tannhäuser – or simply return to Nelahozeves and end the trip in one of the riverside inns.

Poets, thinkers and travelers

Great minds such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Alexander von Humboldt and Karl May were also drawn to the Elbe and the Bohemian Central Mountains. Střekov Castle high above the river became a retreat for artists seeking respite from the industrialized world, and in the 19th century Richard Wagner stayed there – according to an anecdote, wrapped in sheets as a “ghost” inspired by “Tannhäuser”. In Melnik, against the backdrop of the castle, vineyards and estuary, Goethe is said to have appreciated not only the view, but also the fine Bacchus wines.