As the water level of the Lipno Reservoir fell because of drought, a meander of the original Vltava channel known as the Heart of the Vltava appeared again in early October 2026.
The Heart of the Vltava, the shape of the river's original channel on the meadows near Horní Planá, reappeared above the water in October 2026 as the water level of the Lipno Reservoir dropped.[1][2]
Heart of the Vltava
The name Heart of the Vltava refers to a meander of the channel that the Vltava formed before the Lipno Reservoir was filled. Filling of the reservoir began more than six decades ago and flooded the channel.[1][3] The shape partly emerged as early as late March 2025, when satellite images of melting ice captured it.[2] A survey by the Department of Geomatics at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague, in which scientists used fishing sonars, showed that the flooded channel remained well preserved. The project leader Jiří Cajthaml said in 2021 that it is “practically identical to the depiction on old maps”.[3]
Falling water level
According to Novinky.cz, the reservoir was about half full at the beginning of October 2026 and the water level was falling by several centimetres a day. Inflow was two cubic metres per second, outflow six.[1] Flooded structures, such as a former pub and a railway station, appeared in Bližší Lhota.[1] Because of the low water level, the ferry between Horní Planá and Bližší Lhota suspended operation, and the ferry in Dolní Vltavice ended its season early. The South Bohemian Region declared a state of drought because of a long-term lack of precipitation.[3]
Observations
On Tuesday 6 October 2026, a photographer from Český Krumlov, flying in a Cessna 172 that took off from Hosín, took pictures of Lipno and Plešné Lake. He photographed the Heart of the Vltava from a height of 1,264 metres above sea level.[2] According to Petr Šimák, the mayor of Horní Planá, the easiest place from which to observe it is the Jezerní vyhlídka viewpoint above the town, accessible all year round. The shape is also visible from the lookout tower at Dobrá Voda.[2] If it does not rain in Šumava and the water level falls further, it will be possible to see it even without equipment.[2]
Related articles: Lipno Reservoir, Vltava
Chronology
- — Because of drought and a falling water level in the Lipno Reservoir, the so-called Heart of the Vltava, a meander of the river's original bed that was flooded when the reservoir was filled, is emerging again. Novinky.cz iDNES.cz
Sources
- Novinky.cz — 7 October 2026
- iDNES.cz — 7 October 2026
- Budějcká Drbna — 7 October 2026