The Vltava and the Dead Moor
The Vltava River, with a length of 430.3 km, is the longest river in the Czech Republic. It originates in the Bohemian Forest (Šumava), flowing through towns such as Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and Prague. The Warm Vltava, considered the main source stream, begins on the eastern slope of Černá hora (1,315 m a.s.l.) at an altitude of 1,172 m as Černý potok (Black Stream).
Beyond Lenora, the river has only a slight gradient and forms extensive wetlands with many meanders in the flat landscape, collectively known as the Vltava Wetlands (Vltavský luh). Here, in the first zone of the Šumava National Park, in an area called Mrtvý luh (Dead Moor), the Warm and Cold Vltava rivers meet at 731 m a.s.l. near the hamlet of Chlum. The Cold Vltava rises on the Bavarian side, west of the village Haidmühle, known in German as Altwasser or Kalte Moldau. From the confluence of the two main tributaries, the river is called simply the Vltava.
Near Nová Pec, the river expands into the wide and long Lipno Reservoir, formed by damming the river near Lipno nad Vltavou. Beyond Lipno, the river flows through a romantic rocky valley beneath the Devil’s Wall (Čertova stěna), a section called Devil’s Rapids (Čertovy proudy), and heads toward the Lipno II compensation reservoir just before Vyšší Brod. Between the dam and Vyšší Brod, the riverbed is almost dry (the dam must maintain only a minimal flow of 2 cubic meters per second) because most water is diverted via a tunnel from the underground power plant to the Lipno II reservoir. The flow increases only occasionally – during water surpluses, canoeing competitions, or regulated releases. This section is considered one of the most challenging canoeing and slalom courses in the world and requires 20–30 m³ of water per second.
After Vyšší Brod, the river enters a more open landscape and turns northward. It meanders through a touristically attractive region with many cultural and historical monuments, usually located near the river. The Vltava flows past Rožmberk Castle, through the town of Větřní, and enters Český Krumlov via a rocky gorge.
Mrtvý luh (The Dead Moor) is a valley peat bog and a former state nature reserve in Šumava, located at the confluence of the Warm and Cold Vltava rivers in the Vltava trench south of Volary. Today, it is part of the Vltava Wetlands in the first zone of the Šumava National Park, in the cadastral area of České Žleby. The state nature reserve was established in 1948, covering 394 hectares. The name "Dead Moor" comes from the large number of dead trees forming a “dead forest” – the result of a major underground peat fire.
The Dead Moor is bordered by the railway embankment between the train stops Dobrá and Černý Kříž on the České Budějovice–Volary line, and by both riverbeds of the Warm and Cold Vltava, which merge in the southeastern corner to form the Vltava River.
It is part of the internationally protected wetland network. The area is not open to the public. Only boaters traveling the river from the Soumarský Bridge may enter it. It is also clearly visible from the train between Černý Kříž and Volary.
The upper course of the Vltava between Lenora and Pěkná can be navigated only after registration on the Šumava National Park website.
