Celebrate the Vltava: Prague's Largest River Festival Unveiled

On September 22, as part of World Rivers Day, the Vltava River and its surroundings will host the first annual multi-genre festival “Know the Vltava,” the largest of its kind in Europe.

Spanning from the Podolská waterworks to the Old Wastewater Treatment Plant in Bubeneč, the event will feature tours, artistic performances, workshops, and special programs for children along the embankment.

This event will bring together over three dozen participants, showcasing the river’s significance in various contexts—from its crucial role in the city’s infrastructure and environmental impact to its cultural and sporting influences.

Currently, 35 companies, organizations, and cultural institutions are involved in the preparations, with more than eighty activities planned.

Organized by the municipal organization Kreativní Praha, in cooperation with the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR Prague), the festival will offer most activities free of charge.

The central theme of the festival is education about the river and its conservation. Visitors will have the chance to explore normally inaccessible areas, such as the recently revealed supply tunnel system of the historic National Theater, leading from the golden chapel to the Vltava River, and the Old Wastewater Treatment Plant in Bubeneč.

The century-old lock in Smíchov will also be open for detailed guided tours of the Vltava Basin. The program includes guided tours of permanent and current exhibitions at the Prague Waterworks Museum in Podolská vodárna, CAMP, and Rudolfinum, along with guided walks focusing on the history of Prague’s bridges.

Children can enjoy art workshops at the Rudolfinum Gallery and Troja Castle, while the Forman Brothers Theater will present a special performance of “The Greek” for the youngest attendees.

Visitors can ride sailboats, explore historic steamboats, view cleaning trucks from Prague Services, and watch demonstrations by the integrated rescue system. Festival boat transport between Holešovice and Bubeneč will be free of charge.

All important information, including the program and a map of the festival locations, can be found on the website and on the event’s Facebook page.

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