Lipno reservoir half empty: “Heart of the Vltava” emerges in Czechia

Because of a record drought, the “Heart of the Vltava” is becoming ever more visible on the Lipno reservoir. The shape is the old riverbed that formed in the meadows of Horní Planá before the reservoir was filled. Flooded buildings are also emerging from the water.

Last winter, meteorologist Tadeáš Gregor from České Budějovice drew attention to the shape, publishing satellite images of the melting ice. Now the pattern is clearly visible again.

The Lipno reservoir is only half full, and the level is dropping by several centimetres every day. Two cubic metres of water per second flow into the dam, while six are released. Submerged structures are also reappearing, such as the inn and the railway station in Blízká Lhota.

The aerial photograph by Libor Sváček for the Museum Fotoateliér Seidel is the first in a series of aerial mapping of the Lipno area. The museum also invites visitors to an exhibition of Seidel's photographs at the tourist information centre in Horní Planá, which opened on Wednesday with a vernissage.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz