Prague to Build Czechia's First Floating Helipad for Rescue Services on the Vltava

Prague will build the Czech Republic's first floating helipad for air ambulance services near Vyšehrad — the pad will sit right on the Vltava River and serve hospitals in the city centre. According to Prague City Hall, the project has already been approved and is due for completion in 2027.

The new helipad will replace the current temporary landing site in Žitné Gardens near Palacký Square, which rescuers have been using for several decades. The site is far from ideal: police have to clear the area before every landing, and it sits close to a busy metro entrance and pedestrian zones.

The floating platform will be installed near the railway bridge and the Vyšehrad rock. It will measure 20 by 20 metres and operate around the clock in support of the air ambulance service. The project includes navigation lighting, security systems, a heated landing surface and remote monitoring.

The new facility will serve several major medical institutions at once — the General University Hospital (VFN) on Charles Square, the Apolinář maternity hospital, and the Institute for the Care of Mother and Child in Podolí. Notably, VFN is currently the only major Prague hospital without its own helicopter landing site.

Deputy Mayor for Healthcare Alexandra Udženija said that "projects like this aren't just about construction — they're above all about the people whose lives it can save," noting that in cases of severe trauma and sudden medical emergencies, every minute counts.

Petr Kolouch, director of Prague's Emergency Medical Service, explained that the new helipad will allow patients to be transferred faster and more safely straight from the helicopter into an ambulance, skipping additional transport stages.

The project took years to prepare and was repeatedly delayed due to technical and permitting challenges — engineers had to design a unique solution for a floating structure on the river. The construction contract is worth 59.2 million koruna excluding VAT, city officials say.

The new helipad is expected to support rescue operations, including large-scale incidents with mass casualties, for many years to come — until a possible future solution emerges in the form of a helipad built directly at the hospital itself.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by expats.cz