Travel Czech Republic
Bridges connect the historic Old Town to the Mala Strana neighborhood.
A City and Its River A boat ride on Prague’s Vltava River reveals intriguing spots and stories
By Tim Johnson
E
58 I N S I G H T June 24–30, 2022
PRAGUE
CZECH REPUBLIC
A seasonal nonstop New York–Prague flight aboard Delta resumed last month from JFK.
FROM TOP L: FRASER HALL/GETTY IMAGES, THE EPOCH TIMES, FOUR SEASONS, PAUL THUYSBAERT/FOUR SEASONS, TIM JOHNSON
urope is filled with great river cities—the steeples and citadels of Buda and Pest rising dramatically on either side of the Danube, the Seine slicing Paris into Left Bank and Right Bank. But Prague? Not really one of them. Yes, water runs through its heart. And perhaps the city’s most distinctive landmark is the Charles Bridge, a stone span dating back to 1357 and lined with dozens of baroque statues. But mention the Vltava River in passing to even well-traveled individuals, and you’d probably be met with a puzzled look. And its harsh-sounding name certainly won’t inspire any gauzy romantic visions of Old World maritime culture. But still, Captain Stepan Rusnak told me the Vltava is of vital importance to Czechs. “It’s the longest river in the country,” he said, noting that it flows from the mountains in Bohemia clear across the nation until it joins with the Elbe in
Germany. Calm today, its name recalls more untamed times, meaning “wild water.” Sometimes called the world’s greatest living outdoor museum, Prague is remarkably well-preserved, being spared from some of the harshest bombing in World War II. So even a casual stroll will take you back hundreds of years, from the 15th-century Astronomical Clock at Old Town Square to the 9th-century fortifications at Prague Castle, peering down over it all. But after many visits here, I had never seen it from below, from the water. Staying at the Four Seasons Hotel, which sits directly on the river, I was about to go for a ride; it’s an experience the hotel offers guests. Rusnak operates a handcrafted timber boat with a shallow draft, perfect for navigating the tight corners of this urban waterway that few get to explore. He met me in the lobby, and as we walked across a bridge to reach his craft, Rusnak said that he grew up near here, right on
