This is a list of rivers of the Czech Republic .
This is a list of rivers of the Czech Republic .
Czech language distinguishes between larger (river) and smaller (stream, creek, brook etc.) watercourses; the respective nouns being řeka (feminine, "river") and potok (masculine, "stream"). River names are mostly self-standing nouns and not accompanied with the generic word for river (except when confusion might arose because name is shared with some towns, e.g. Jihlava; in such cases one sometimes says řeka Jihlava).
In contrast, stream names mostly consist of two words because they contain an adjective (usually stemming from physical properties (e.g. Černý potok-"Black Stream"), usage (e.g. Mlýnský potok – "Mill Stream") or derived from location through which it flows (e.g. Rakovnický potok-"Rakovník Stream")). These two-word names are used as a whole, the word potok making an inseparable part of the name (i.e. Mlýnský potok, not just Mlýnský). There are also streams with one-word names (either masculine or feminine) akin to rivers (e.g. Botič or Modla) but they are simply considered streams due to their small size. In such cases the word potok is optional and precedes the name (potok Modla).
As the Main European Watershed passes through the Czech Republic, there are three directions and principal areas of drainage (very roughly overlapping with historical territories of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia): Almost 2/3 of the country is drained in NW direction through the Elbe into the North Sea. The Morava flowing towards SE collects water from eastern regions of the Czech Republic and discharges into Danube which flows to the Black Sea. The northeast and some northern portions of the territory is drained by the Oder and its tributaries like Lausitzer Neisse into the Baltic Sea. The corresponding watershed tripoint with a marker for symbolic "roof of Europe" (50°9'27"N 16°47'27"E) is located at Czech-Polish border on Mt. Klepáč near Dolní Morava in Snieznik Mountains.
The catchment area of the Elbe down to Czech-German border in Hřensko/Schöna covers 51,394 square kilometres (19,843 sq mi). This figure includes upper courses of some tributaries starting in neighbouring countries. The area solely within Czech borders is slightly smaller and this is the figure given in the following table, which shows Czech territory divided after drainage basins.
| River | level 1 | level 2 | level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elbe | 49,933 [lower-alpha 1] | ||
| Vltava | 27,006.70 [lower-alpha 2] | ||
| Ohře | 4,601.05 [lower-alpha 3] | ||
| Danube | 21,736 [lower-alpha 4] | ||
| Morava | 20,692.4 [lower-alpha 5] | ||
| Thaya | 11,164.7 [lower-alpha 6] | ||
| Oder | 7,217 | ||
| total (km2) | 78,886 |
While the Elbe is the longest Czech-related river when measured through its overall length (i.e. including its lower course in Germany), its tributary the Vltava surpasses it as the longest river within the territory of the Czech Republic itself. (In fact the Vltava also carries more water than the Elbe at their confluence.)
| Rank | River | Length within the CR (km) | Avg. discharge [lower-alpha 7] (m³/s) | Total basin (km2) | Tributary to | Mouth location | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Vltava | 430 [lower-alpha 8] | 151 | 28,090 | Elbe | Mělník |  |
| 2nd | Elbe | 370 [lower-alpha 9] | 308 | 144,055 | North Sea | Cuxhaven (Germany) |  |
| 3rd | Morava | 284 [lower-alpha 10] | 65 [lower-alpha 11] | 26,658 | Danube | Bratislava (Slovakia) |  |
| 4th | Ohře | 256 [lower-alpha 12] | 38 | 5,606 | Elbe | Litoměřice |  |
| 5th | Berounka (+Mže) | 242 [lower-alpha 13] | 36 | 8,854 | Vltava | Prague |  |
| 6th | Sázava | 225 | 25 | 4,350 | Vltava | Davle |  |
| 7th | Thaya | 209 [lower-alpha 14] | 44 | 13,419 | Morava | Hohenau (Austria) |  |
| 8th | Jihlava | 181 | 12 | 2,997 | Svratka | Ivaň |  |
| 9th | Svratka | 174 | 15 [lower-alpha 15] | 7,119 | Thaya | Pouzdřany |  |
| 10th | Jizera | 167 | 24 | 2,193 | Elbe | Lázně Toušeň |  |
| 11th | Lužnice | 158 [lower-alpha 16] | 24 | 4,235 | Vltava | Hosty |  |
| 12th | Oder | 136 [lower-alpha 17] | 48 | 118,861 | Baltic Sea | Świnoujście (Poland) |  |
| 13th | Otava (+Vydra) | 135 | 26 | 3,827 | Vltava | Zvíkovské Podhradí |  |
| 14th | Orlice (+Divoká Orlice) | 129 [lower-alpha 18] | 22 | 2,036 | Elbe | Hradec Králové |  |
| 15th | Opava (+Černá Opava) | 129 | 18 | 2,089 | Oder | Ostrava |  |
| 16th | Bečva (+Vsetínská Bečva) | 120 | 18 | 1,626 | Morava | Troubky |  |
| 17th | Radbuza | 110 | 11 | 2,182 | Berounka | Plzeň |  |
| 18th | Chrudimka | 106 | 6 | 866 | Elbe | Pardubice |  |
| 19th | Úhlava | 104 | 6 | 908 | Radbuza | Plzeň |  |
| 20th | Želivka (+Hejlovka) | 104 | 4 | 1,188 | Sázava | Soutice |  |
| 21st | Tichá Orlice | 102 | 7 | 756 | Orlice | Žďár nad Orlicí |  |
| 22nd | Střela | 102 | 3 | 922 | Berounka | Liblín |  |
| 23rd | Ploučnice | 101 | 8 | 1,188 | Elbe | Děčín |  |
| 24th | Oslava | 101 | 3 | 867 | Jihlava | Ivančice |  |
| 25th | Moravice | 101 | 8 | 900 | Opava | Opava |  |
Rivers not located themselves within the Czech Republic but possessing tributaries originating on the Czech territory are shown in strikethrough italics . Rivers over 100 km long or having average discharge greater than 10 m³/s are emphasized in bold .
(The Morava accounts for almost all discharge, the only exception being the Vlára, which belongs to the Váh subbasin)
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The Vltava is the longest river in the Czech Republic, running southeast along the Bohemian Forest and then north across Bohemia, through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice and Prague, and finally merging with the Labe at Mělník. It is commonly referred to as the "Czech national river".
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia, then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 kilometres northwest of Hamburg. Its total length is 1,094 km (680 mi).
Ústí nad Labem Region or Ústecký Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western part of the historical land of Bohemia, and named after the capital, Ústí nad Labem. It covers the majority of the former North Bohemia province and is part of the broader area of North Bohemia.
The Morava is a river in Central Europe, a left tributary of the Danube. It is the main river of Moravia, which derives its name from it. The river originates on the Králický Sněžník mountain in the north-eastern corner of Pardubice Region, near the border between the Czech Republic and Poland and has a vaguely southward trajectory. The lower part of the river's course forms the border between the Czech Republic and Slovakia and then between Austria and Slovakia.
The Thaya is a river in Central Europe, the longest tributary to the river Morava. Its drainage basin is 12,772 km2 (4,931 sq mi). It is 224 km (139 mi) long and meanders from west to east in the border area between Lower Austria (Austria) and South Moravia, though the frontier does not exactly follow the river's course in most parts. Its source is in two smaller rivers, namely the German Thaya and the Moravian Thaya, flowing together at Raabs an der Thaya.
The Berounka is a river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Vltava River. It flows through the Plzeň and Central Bohemian regions to Prague. It is formed by the confluence of the Mže and Radbuza rivers in Plzeň. Together with the Mže, which is its main source, the Berounka is 244.6 km (152.0 mi) long, which makes it the fifth longest river in the Czech Republic. Without the Mže, it is 139.4 km (86.6 mi) long.
The Ohře or, slightly less commonly in English sources, the Eger, is a river in Germany and the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It flows through Bavaria in Germany and through the Karlovy Vary and Ústí nad Labem regions in the Czech Republic. It is 304.7 km (189.3 mi) long, of which 256 km (159 mi) is in the Czech Republic, which makes it the fourth longest river in the country.
The Jizera is a river in the Czech Republic and shortly in Poland, a right tributary of the Elbe River. It flows through the Liberec and Central Bohemian regions. It is 167.0 km (103.8 mi) long, which makes it the 10th longest river in the Czech Republic.
Desná is a short river in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It is 2.3 km long and is a left tributary of the Kamenice, to which it enters in Tanvald.
Orlice is a river in the Czech Republic and shortly in Poland, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It flows through the Hradec Králové Region. It is formed by the confluence of the Divoká Orlice and Tichá Orlice rivers. Together with the Divoká Orlice, which is its main source, the Orlice is 132.2 km (82.1 mi) long, of which 129.0 km (80.2 mi) in the Czech Republic, which makes it the 14th longest river in the country. Without the Divoká Orlice, it is 32.9 km (20.4 mi) long.
Hradec Králové District is a district in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the city of Hradec Králové.
Hřensko is a municipality and village in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants. With an elevation of 130 metres (430 ft) above sea level, it is the lowest situated municipality in the country. Located on the edge of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park, Hřensko is known for many natural monuments, especially for the Kamenice Gorge and Pravčická brána.
Děčín District is a district in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the city of Děčín.
The Metuje is a river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It flows through the Hradec Králové Region. It is 78.2 km (48.6 mi) long.
The Otava is a river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Vltava River. It flows through the Plzeň and South Bohemian regions. It is formed by the confluence of the Vydra and Křemelná rivers. Together with the Vydra, which is its main source, the Otava is 134.8 km (83.8 mi) long, which makes it the 13th longest river in the country. Without the Vydra, it is 111.7 km (69.4 mi) long.
Ostravice is a river in Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. It originates in the Moravian-Silesian Beskids and then flows through Ostravice, Frýdlant nad Ostravicí, Frýdek-Místek and Paskov to Ostrava where it enters the Oder as its right tributary.
The Divoká Orlice is a river in the Czech Republic and Poland. It flows through Lower Silesian Voivodeship in Poland and through the Hradec Králové and Pardubice regions. It is the upper and middle course of the Orlice, but usually it is considered a separate river. Until its confluence with the Tichá Orlice, when it further continues as Orlice, the Divoká Orlice is 99.3 km (61.7 mi) long.
Bělá nad Radbuzou is a town in Domažlice District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,700 inhabitants.
Tovačov is a town in Přerov District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,500 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.
