1,100 boats cleared three Vltava weirs in central Prague

On the public holiday of September 28, Prague scouts from the "Dvojka" troop held their annual water race "Through All of Prague — Over Three Weirs": around 1,100 boats set off from Císařská louka island in Smíchov and covered 6.5 kilometers to reach Štvanice island, clearing three of the city's weirs on the Vltava along the way, including the stretch by Charles Bridge.

The first boats set off at 9 a.m. from the water sports stadium with its distinctive yellow tower, while the last crews left Císařská louka around an hour before noon. Anyone who had registered in advance and bought a so-called "splavenka" — a permit for passing the weirs — could take part and enjoy the view of Prague from the water. Registration closed a full week before the start: according to the organizers, the safety limit of 1,100 vessels had been reached, roughly a fifth fewer than last year's number of participants.

Dangerous stretches of the course

The organizers warned crews in advance about the riskiest spots on the route. At the first two weirs, sharp edges of metal piles jut out of the water, while beyond the third weir the drop exceeds three meters into a so-called stilling basin, where a boat can be damaged and paddlers injured. A strong backflow often forms under the spillway on the right side of the Staroměstský weir, and capsized boats frequently have to be rescued under Charles Bridge.

Rules for participants

Crews were forbidden to cross the path of large vessels or enter zones marked with yellow buoys, including the weirs themselves. On the stretch below Letná, opposite the Na Františku pier, participants were required to keep to the left bank. Specific bridge arches were designated for passage, and referees monitored compliance with the rules along the course. The organizers separately asked participants not to approach the left bank and the left arches at Charles Bridge — crossing there was only allowed beyond the bridge, giving way to sightseeing boats — and not to climb onto lock gates, piles, mooring jetties or other hydraulic structures along the route.

Safety monitoring

As every year, boats passed through special rafting locks — paddling directly over the weirs' spillway slabs is prohibited for safety reasons. Besides the police, the State Navigation Inspectorate monitored the course as part of a preventive check. A strict ban on alcohol applies on the river: crews must not be intoxicated, and every boat must have the mandatory waterway permit sticker correctly affixed.

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Source: novinky.cz