Speed limits on european waterways (Specifically Czech Republic)

[wipe_out]

Out in CZ at the moment on holiday and the Labe river runs from Prague right up into Germany so was wondering about a water based tour of the country using the river.. From what I have been able to find it is navigable the whole way but couldn't find detail of speed limits and the types of crafts that are best suited to these waterways..

Anyone have any ideas or info?

 

[stillwaters]

This is one of the areas I looked at some time ago, so my info is not necessarily up to date. However, from what I recollect, I would have thought you would be wise to do some homework before setting out, especially at this time of year when maintenance work is likely. For instance, there are quite a few locks, 20+ from memory, and there only needs to be one shut to cock the whole thing up. Also, water levels are always critical on the Labe, which of course becomes the Elbe in Germany. No idea what the speed limits are, but a couple of websites I looked at were:
http://www.lavdis.cz/en/waterways
http://www.elbpro.com which is available in different languages.
From memory, one of them, Lavdis I think, includes info on closures via the homepage. Incidentally, I found most info listed under Elbe not Labe, but that may have changed now.

 

[Hardmy]

There is no speed limit on the Elbe (Labe in czech), temporary speed limit signs excepted. I think, at the moment mobos cannot navigate further then Chvaletice (in the Hradec Kralové / Pardubice region).

You might also consider navigating the Vltava (Moldau) and visit Prague by boat, this experience is really fantastic. If you continue, you will also navigate through Svatojánské proudy (both pics are copied from the Internet):

Unfortunately, the trip ends at Slapy high dam. But if your boat is not too big, a tractor will pull you up to the lake. Then the voyage continues through untouched nature and several locks or boat lifts to the Orlík lake. Orlík castle and Zvíkov castle are very worth a visit, by boat of course. A couple of pics of this trip in 2015:

You will be one of the very few foreigners, which is nice. Communication goes most of the time in english. And it is not difficult to please the czechs, if you can 2-3 words like dobrý den, dikuji, ... Booze is cheap, boehmian food tasty, czech ladies charming, what do you want more!

You might find those links useful:
http://www.lavdis.cz/public/files/userfiles/vodni-cesty/ris_mapa_prehledova_v1.2.pdf
http://mapy.spspraha.cz/app/

 

[stillwaters]

In fact if you follow this link it will show you which sections are currently navigable http://www.lavdis.cz/en/homepage/status-of-waterway

 

[wipe_out]

Great info and although only 2 of Hardmy's photos worked it still looks awesome from what did come through.. The maps and information links are useful too..

@Hardmy - What boat did you use to navigate the river?

 

[Hardmy]

DOH! Sorry, still struggling with sharing pics with google photos. Hope it works now?

I keep my boat in the med, so we chartered on Orlík lake a smallish/slowish day cruiser on a single shaft. But it's all what we needed to have and she ran very quietly. Piers are not to be find anywhere, so you just dump a kedge anchor and motor onto the beach. The shores are usually quite steep so its not a problem.

I must confess, that I did not navigate on my own keel between Prague and Štěchovice though. We took a ride on the real steam paddler which is doing this service once a week:

Very interesting how this beautiful vessel is steered through some narrow places of the "canyon". They also plant some sort of perchs in the riverbed to hold the bow/stern from the shore when maneuvering in close quarters. Techniques which have been forgotten in most other european places.

And the trip wasn't a tourist trap. Mostly local families, the comments on the PA were made in czech anyway...