Walk along the river in Prague. River walk along the Vltava by boat in Prague Prague walk along the Vltava which route to choose

Magnificent ancient Prague, the beautiful architecture of Hradcany, the famous Charles Bridge, sunset over the Vltava... and a shameful nightmare on a pleasure boat. I don’t recommend this to anyone!

I’m still perplexed, how could the tour operator “Come with us” do such a poor job?! It looks like they consider their clients real cattle to sell something like this. First things first...

My old dream came true and in 2017, on May 1, I went to Prague for several days. I bought the excursion tour from the travel agency “Come with us”, and they, in turn, cooperate with “Accord Tour”, so the trip itself was arranged for us by “Accord”.

Judging by the reviews, the Accord has a slightly controversial reputation due to not always good guides. But I was very lucky - our accompanying guide was a responsible and knowledgeable young girl. The trip was great, I really liked the work of "Chord". Except for one thing. This is the very journey along the evening Vltava.

The first day in Prague was wonderful. We arrived in the city around 9 am and immediately began a sightseeing walking tour of Prague. This excursion was included in the price of my tour package. It lasted until 13.00 and ended on the Charles Bridge. After the review, I also booked a tour of the old quarter of Hradcany. This is what I highly recommend! Interesting and beautiful! Even despite the accumulated fatigue, I had a very good time. At about 16.00 we checked into the hotel and then had free time.

I must say that by this time we were quite tired. A night on the bus and then a very busy day on your feet. I could barely walk. I really wanted to rest peacefully and quietly. But I didn’t come to Prague to sit in a room....

"Accourt Tour" offered us a walking tour with dinner on a boat on the Vltava River for the evening. Prague, Vltava, boat, sunset... it just sounded incredibly cool. Moreover, the price included dinner (but you still had to eat somewhere).

So, we left the hotel and headed to the river pier...

The expectations were very high! A romantic delicious dinner on a pleasure boat, surrounded by spring Prague, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe... The journey lasts 2.5 hours. And after dinner, a fascinating educational excursion from the guide awaited us. I expected to see half of Prague in this time. It’s not a shame to pay 30 euros for this.

The reality was very different from this. Actually, as my neighbor at the table on the boat said, it was a stupid idea, there was nothing else to expect.

Imagine 50 hungry and tired tourists from the CIS countries, locked in a very cramped room.

I once thought that there would be 20-30 people on the boat. In theory, it is designed for such a number of people. But the tour operator decided to cash in on tourists. And more than 50 people were squeezed into a small mess room on the lower deck. The boat, of course, is already narrow. And the organizers thought of placing tables here in 2 rows. There was a very narrow passage between them.

We arrived 10 minutes before departure and by this time all the normal seats were occupied. We couldn't even settle down with our group. One by one we were seated at tables with unknown people.

The buffet itself was located in the middle of the room. And when the guests were invited to dinner, a terrible avalanche of people, as if on cue, took off from their seats and ran!! rushed to the plates. There is very little space, everyone is hungry, angry, pushing and swearing. Well, you know how our people know how to behave... And with all this, in order to fill your plate, you had to stand in line for about 15 minutes - even pushing everyone away with your elbows.

I sat in horror and watched what was happening. I really didn't want to get into a food fight. That's not why I came to Prague.

The food was prepared little and not varied. I was not satisfied with the menu. In addition, a crowd of hungry compatriots swept everything they could off their plates. Even in reserve so that you don’t have to go for more.

Those who did not participate in this circus had only one choice - either feel like cattle and join the battle for food, or remain a loser and a sucker and sit with an empty plate.

Half an hour after the ship left, I got to the remains of the food. The kitchen was very mediocre.

As for the drinks, it was kind of a shame... The choice was very limited and so was the quantity. While no one counted food, things were different with drinks. Each guest was given 3 alcohol tickets of their choice. That is, you could take 3 glasses of something. And no more. If you want more, pay extra. In fact, these 3 glasses are not enough. First I took dry white wine - 100 grams. I didn’t like the wine at all and then I took beer. Cheap plastic cup of 250 grams. Moreover, they clearly saved money on beer - it was not tasty and somehow watered down. This is the Czech Republic, a beer country. Most of these 3 glasses were not enough. I didn’t finish mine - I didn’t like the quality and attitude.

And then the third part of the “journey” began - the guide’s story. In truth, it was monstrous. The guide was an elderly, very cutesy woman (in my opinion, she was the owner of the boat). In an incredibly monotonous (incorrectly, it seemed to her, sublime) voice, she began to talk about the architecture of Prague. In any other performance these things could be of interest. I endured as long as I could. And then I took a glass of beer and went up to the upper open deck of the boat - it’s better to admire Prague at sunset.

Yes, the city is very beautiful. I didn’t remember anything from the guide’s story, which is not typical for me. I love history and enjoy listening to such things. But at least I looked at the city.

By the way, you can see very little during the walk. The pleasure boat passes along the embankment, under several bridges, then turns around and sails back. And so he walks back and forth 4 times. Quite monotonously. It's the same thing all around and it gets boring.

Honestly, the excursion turned out to be frankly unsuccessful. Perhaps not everyone on the boat even felt it. But I had a clear feeling that, for my own money, I was shown a place in the stall like some kind of cattle, and I wanted to finish this walk as quickly as possible. Tourists from the CIS are clearly considered second class here.

I decided to get to the hotel without a group, on my own. And I liked this independent walk through the evening city much more. I walked along the busy embankment, admired the river and moored old boats (boats equipped as a hotel), listened to the voice of the city. The surrounding area is full of picturesque, cozy cafes and restaurants. And all this is buried in blooming fragrant lilacs - there are a lot of them in Prague. Everything is civilized and beautiful. And why did I take this excursion and not go to one of them for dinner?!

The Czech Republic is beautiful in spring! I thoroughly enjoyed my trip. The only thing I didn't like was the river walk along the Vlata, which disappointed me.

Here it wasn't even a matter of the tour operator. Of course, they are to blame for poor organization and a terrible guide. But the format of the event itself implies inconvenience. Well, it can’t be convenient for a large group of people to have dinner in such a narrow, cramped space. Therefore it is

Hello, all travel lovers! I invite you to the next virtual one. continued our acquaintance with the Czech capital. After walking the city streets for many hours, I wanted to relax and look at Prague from a different perspective.

From past travels, I remember river walks well: along the night Budapest and along the Grand Canal in Venice. With its sophisticated architecture, Prague was reminiscent of palaces and cathedrals on the banks of the Danube, and the water in the Vltava River was exactly the same color as in the canals of Venice. This is where all the similarities end. Each city is individual in its own way, and each travel agency strives with all its might to capitalize on this individuality. Did you swim? :)

The Vltava is the left tributary of the Elbe. The river is prone to flooding, so 12 locks have been built here. By the way, the largest flood occurred in 2002, when a significant part of Prague was flooded.

The color of the Vltava water depends on weather conditions; it is difficult to say about its quality, but guides assure that river trout lives in the river. Didn't you come across it?

Even in extreme heat, the water temperature does not exceed +16 °.

It is very easy to buy a boat excursion along the Vltava; just go down to the embankment in the city center. I will indicate the addresses of the piers at the end of the article.

Our river walk took an hour and a half, and began at the pier near the Chekhov Bridge. All cruises differ in time and price; boats and ships operate year-round, from morning until late evening.

An adult ticket for the route we chose cost 150 CZK (5.8 €), a child ticket 100 CZK.

You can choose a regular river trip, or you can go on a cruise with a romantic dinner by candlelight, in luxurious surroundings and pleasant music. I think the cityscapes will perfectly complement the entire idyll of the river excursion, which lasts three hours.

As soon as our boat set off, the panorama of Prague was filled with the bright colors of ancient architecture and modern buildings.

On the left side, we were greeted by this floating boat (hotel on a ship) “Albatros” 3* with 86 rooms. A double room in such a hotel costs 60-80 € per night. All the main attractions of Prague are located within walking distance from the boat.

And here is another calling card of Prague - the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The monumental building immediately attracts your attention.

Petrin Hill with an observation tower similar to the Eiffel Tower appeared in the distance. I told about him.

There are many pleasure boats and motor ships plying along the Vltava, so you won’t have to stand in lines.

You can rent a boat or catamaran at the boat station. By the way, catamaran in Czech is slepadlo.

The boat station in Prague can be found at the address: Slavyanský ostrov. It is located in the central part of Prague on the Vltava, next to the National Theatre. There is a park on the island and there is a rental of catamarans and boats. Price 250 CZK (9.7 €) per hour.

On the very banks of the Vltava there are two hotels in Prague: the President 5* business hotel and the InterContinental 5*. A Deluxe room at the President Hotel costs about 80 € per night.

Politicians, show business stars and cultural figures like to stay at the InterContinental Hotel. The fact that Michael Jackson preferred this hotel serves as an advertisement. Double room price from 130 € per night.

Now you know where to stay during your trip to Prague. :)

Remember the scandalous sculpture “Pissing Men”? In front of you is the very museum of the writer Franz Kafka, in the courtyard of which two healthy figures are enjoying each other’s company.

The Kafka Museum is open daily from 10.00 to 18.00 Ticket price: adult -180 CZK (7 €), children and reduced price 120 CZK.

A pompous building (1891) in the neo-Baroque style appears on the left bank of the Vltava. This is the former Straka Academy. Initially, there was a boarding school for students from poor families. Today, it is the seat of the Government of the Czech Republic.

And now we have approached the goal of our river walk. The famous Black Bridge or Charles Bridge appears ahead. It stands out from all the artistically attractive reality, and like a formidable guard hangs over the calm waters of the Vltava. The massive structure looks like a road from the past to the present, and the huge black sculptures only complement the mystical image of the main attraction of Prague.

In front of the Charles Bridge is the Old Town Tower in the Gothic style, its sister, the Powder Tower, is located on Republic Square.

Behind the Charles Bridge there is a magnificent view of the museum of the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana. Previously, the Old Town Water Station was located on this site. Nearby is the Old Town water tower with a clock.

Next to the Charles Bridge is the Legionnaires' Bridge, to the left of which is the building with a golden crown - the National Theater. For its construction, under the motto “The nation for itself,” money was collected throughout the country, hence the name - People's Theater.

Having reached the rapids, our ship turned around and sailed in the opposite direction with the breeze. The river walk along the Vltava ended successfully.

In conclusion, my video “River walk along the Vltava”

Where to buy a river cruise on the Vltava:

Near Chekhov Bridge, Dvorak embankment (Dvořákovo nábřeží)

Ludwig Freedom Embankment (Nábřeží Ludvíka Svobody), near the Ministry of Transport

Rohanskaya embankment

Alyosha embankment (Alšovo nábřeží), near Manesov Bridge

Smetana embankment (Smetanovo nábřeží), near Charles Bridge

Masaryk Embankment (Masarykovo nábřeži), near the “dancing house”

Podoli embankment (Podolské nábřeží), near the Podoli water park

Rašínovo embankment

Prices can be found on the Russian-language websites of the companies:

http://www.prazskebenatky.cz/ru/

http://www.evd.cz/ru

http://www.cruise-prague.cz/rus

Thank you for attention! See you again in Prague!

Cities located on rivers or canals are interesting to explore from the water - you get a new cross-section of this city, see the city from a different angle.

Sometimes this view is not very impressive. Let's say it doesn't look as advantageous as when walking in the center.

But cities such as Amsterdam and , cannot be fully appreciated without a boat trip. sailing along the canals among the vegetable gardens is a separate city attraction. Fantastically beautiful from the water. And on boat excursions along the Seine, stories about the sights are interspersed with songs about Paris, which greatly enhances the effect of perceiving the passing pictures of this great city.

It was Prague's turn. This is not my first time in Prague, but I still haven’t gotten around to river walks along the Vltava.

There are several types of river walks along the Vltava. Let's start with the fact that every person approaching the Charles Bridge stumbles upon blacks (politically correct speaking - Afro-Czechs) in sailor suits, who invite them for hour-long walks along the river (the exit to the pier is immediately under the bridge).

But most excursions along the Vltava depart from the pier, which is located behind the Chekhov Bridge. You can choose a one-hour walk, a two-hour walk, with or without lunch. The walking routes are also different: some ships head towards Visegrad, others towards the Troyan Castle. Judging by the reviews, the walk towards Visegrad is much more attractive.

Since there is a dam in the center of Prague in front of the Charles Bridge, you have to stand in the lock for 15-20 minutes in each direction. Therefore, it is better to choose a walk with lunch in order to use the time of passing the lock for lunch. Lunch is offered as a buffet.

Pleasure boats, as a rule, have two decks. The lower deck is closed and divided into 2 parts. The front half has better visibility, and the rear half has a buffet.

The upper deck is open. There are tables and benches under a canopy.

Upon entering the boat, everyone is given a glass of Becherovka. Everyone takes their seats, the boat moves off. After about five minutes, passengers are invited to the buffet. There is a queue for a while. Everyone with plates crowds around a small space with bowls and dishes, then disperses to their tables. Lunch includes one drink: a glass of beer, a glass of wine, mineral water, tea or coffee.

Our locking and lunch time coincided with heavy rain, so we very successfully waited out the rain on the lower deck. The buffet was unpretentious, very simple: salads, cold cuts, vegetables, pasta, meat, herring.

The sweet table was more interesting; the sweets were cut into small pieces, so you could try a little of everything.

We eat and have lunch on the shore

The rain stopped as soon as we approached Visegrad, the farthest point of our route. The ship turned around, everyone climbed out onto the open deck, and the guide began her story.

The rock on which Visegrad was built

Spiers of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul

Along the way we met a film crew.

Meanwhile, people move along the Vltava almost on inflatable boats

Swans are also present

The characteristic spiers of the Emaus Monastery appeared - popularly these spiers are called “donkey ears”. In February 1945, the Americans flew to bomb Dresden and in the fog somehow managed to confuse Prague with Dresden. Several bombs fell on Emaus. The destroyed spiers were subsequently restored in this non-trivial form.

On the right heading – “Dancing House”

Multi-colored facades

Cute water tower on Slavyansky Island

We get into the airlock again. The lock is located in the channel between the left bank of the Vltava and the narrow Children’s Island. There are summer cafe tables on the island.

And on the right is this painted house

Island cat

We leave the gateway

Spillway

Charles Bridge from different angles

Manes Bridge (named after the artist Josef Manes). Rudolfinum is piled behind it