List of rivers of the Czech Republic facts for kids

Vltava River in Prague

Map of the 50 longest rivers of the Czech Republic

This is a list of rivers of the Czech Republic.

Naming conventions
Drainage basins
Table of rivers
Hierarchical list
Alphabetical list

Naming conventions

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).

Drainage basins

Catchment areas of the Elbe-Vltava system (dark grey) and the Morava-Thaya (light grey) before they leave Czech territory. The remaining white areas in the northeast and north belong to the Oder and its tributaries while narrow white strip along southwestern border denotes some smaller direct tributaries of the Danube.

Triple Divide Point marked on summit of Mt. Klepáč

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 Králický Sněžník 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
Vltava		27,006.70
Ohře		4,601.05
Danube	21,736
Morava		20,692.4
Thaya			11,164.7
Oder	7,217
total (km²)	78,886

Table of rivers

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 (m³/s)	Total basin (km²)	Tributary to	Mouth location
1st	Vltava	430	151	28,090	Elbe	Mělník
2nd	Elbe	370	308	144,055	North Sea	Cuxhaven (Germany)
3rd	Morava	284	65	26,658	Danube	Bratislava (Slovakia)
4th	Ohře	256	38	5,606	Elbe	Litoměřice
5th	Berounka (+Mže)	242	36	8,854	Vltava	Prague
6th	Sázava	225	25	4,350	Vltava	Davle
7th	Thaya	209	44	13,419	Morava	Hohenau (Austria)
8th	Jihlava	181	12	2,997	Svratka	Ivaň
9th	Svratka	174	15	7,119	Thaya	Pouzdřany
10th	Jizera	167	24	2,193	Elbe	Lázně Toušeň
11th	Lužnice	158	24	4,235	Vltava	Hosty
12th	Oder	136	48	118,861	Baltic Sea	Świnoujście (Poland)
13th	Otava (+Vydra)	135	26	3,827	Vltava	Zvíkovské Podhradí
14th	Orlice (+Divoká Orlice)	129	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

Hierarchical list

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.

Rivers flowing to the North Sea (Elbe basin)

tributaries joining the Elbe during its course through Germany (from area along Czech-German border in NW of the country, esp. from the Ore Mountains)

Some rivers of Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg have their headwaters located in the Czech Republic

Scheme of principal tributaries and their contribution to average discharge of the Elbe (in m³/s)

Křinice Gorge in the rocks of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains

Elbe; leaves the Czech Republic at Hřensko, empties into the North Sea)
- ~~Havel~~
  - Spree (c. 1 km section of upper course in Fukov salient; in Lusatian Highlands)
- ~~Saale~~
  - Rokytnice (German: Südliche Regnitz; originates in the Fichtel Mountains)
  - White Elster (originates in the Fichtel Mountains)
- ~~Mulde~~
  - ~~Zwickauer Mulde~~
    - Černá (German: Schwarzwasser; originates in the Ore Mountains)
  - Moldavský potok (German: Freiberger Mulde; originates in Ore Mountains)
    - ~~Zschopau~~
      - Polava (German: Pöhlbach; originates in the Ore Mountains)
      - Přísečnice (German: Preßnitz; originates in the Ore Mountains)
        
        Černá voda (German: Schwarzwasser)
      - Flöha (originates in the Ore Mountains)
        
        Černá (German: Schwarze Pockau)
        
        Načetínský potok (German: Natzschung)
        
        Svídnice (German: Schweinitz)
- ~~Weißeritz~~
  - Divoká Bystřice (German: Wilde Weißeritz; originates in the Ore Mountains)
    - Rašelinový potok
- ~~Müglitz~~
  - Mohelnice (German: Weiße Müglitz; originates in the Ore Mountains)
  - Černý potok (German: Schwarzbach, Schwarze Müglitz)
  - Rybný potok (German: Gottleuba; originates in the Ore Mountains)
    - Slatina (German: Bahra, Mordgrundbach)
      - Petrovický potok (German: Buschbach)
        
        Olšový potok
        
        Rájecký potok
    - Hraniční potok
    - Větrovský potok
    - Lišči potok (German: Fuchsenbach)
- Ostrovská Bělá (German: Biela; originates in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains)
  - Sněžnický potok
  - Liščí potok (German: Fuchsbach, Cunnersdorfer Bach)
    - Dubný potok (German: Taubenbach)
      - Mlžný potok
    - Sporný potok
- ~~Lachsbach~~
  - Vilémovský potok (a.k.a. Sebnice, German: Sebnitz; originates in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains)
- Křinice (German: Kirnitzsch; originates in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains)

tributaries joining the Elbe within Czech Republic, i.e. rivers from major part of Bohemia

The Bílina in Stadice before Ústí nad Labem

A barge with sand on the Vltava below Prague

Berounka as seen from Dolany Bridge near Dolany

Confluence of Vltava and Sázava in Davle

Orlík Dam on the Vltava in south-central Bohemia. The most important series of dams in the country, so called Vltava Cascade, is located on the middle Vltava above Prague.

Písek Stone Bridge over the Otava, the oldest bridge in the country

Canoeing on the Lužnice, a favorite river of water tourists

Riverbed full of boulders in upper course of the Jizera near Kořenov

Cidlina on its lower course in Libice nad Cidlinou

Confluence of the Elbe and Orlice in Hradec Králové

Viktorka's Weir on the Úpa featured in the popular Czech novel The Grandmother by Božena Němcová

- Kamenice (in Hřensko)
- Ploučnice (in Děčín)
  - Robečský potok
  - Svitávka (German: Zwittebach, near Zákupy)
- Jílovský potok (in Děčín)
- Bílina (in Ústí nad Labem)
  - Srpina
- Modla (in Lovosice)
- Ohře (German: Eger; in Litoměřice)
  - Čepel (in Doksany)
  - Chomutovka (below Postoloprty)
  - Hasina
  - Blšanka
  - Liboc (in Libočany)
  - Bystřice
  - Teplá (in Karlovy Vary)
    - Otročínský potok
    - Pramenský potok
  - Rolava (in Karlovy Vary)
  - Svatava (in Sokolov)
  - Libocký potok (in Kynšperk nad Ohří)
  - Odrava (German: Wondreb)
  - Plesná (German: Fleißenbach)
- Liběchovka (in Liběchov)
- Pšovka (in Mělník)
- Vltava (in Mělník; Vltava is the name given to Teplá Vltava after its confluence with Studená Vltava)
  - Bakovský potok
  - Zákolanský potok (in Kralupy nad Vltavou)
  - Únětický potok (in Roztoky)
  - Śárecký potok (in Prague-Dejvice)
  - Rokytka (in Prague-Libeň)
  - Brusnice (in Prague)
  - Motolský potok (in Prague-Smíchov)
  - Botič (in Prague-Vyšehrad)
  - Berounka (in Prague-Lahovice; Berounka is the name given to the lower Mže following its confluence with the Radbuza)
    - Loděnice (a.k.a. Kačák)
    - Litavka (in Beroun)
    - Klíčava
    - Rakovnický potok
    - Javornice
    - Střela
    - Třemošná
    - Klabava
    - Úslava (in Plzeň-Doubravka)
      - Bradava
    - Radbuza (in Plzeň)
      - Úhlava (in Plzeň-Doudlevce)
      - Zubřina
    - Mže (German: Mies; headwater of Berounka)
      - Úterský potok
      - Úhlavka (in Stříbro)
      - Kosový potok
      - Hamerský potok
  - Sázava (in Davle)
    - Blanice (a.k.a. Vlašimská Blanice)
    - Želivka
      - Trnava (a.k.a. Trnávka)
    - Sázavka
    - Šlapanka
  - Kocába
  - Mastník
  - Otava (under Zvíkov Castle; Otava originates at confluence of Vydra and Křemelná)
    - Lomnice
      - Skalice
    - Blanice (a.k.a. Vodňanská Blanice)
    - Volyňka (in Strakonice)
      - Spůlka
    - Ostružná
    - Křemelná
    - Vydra
  - Lužnice (German: Lainsitz; in Týn nad Vltavou)
    - Smutná (in Bechyně)
    - Nežárka (in Veselí nad Lužnicí; Nežárka originates at confluence of the Kamenice and Žirovnice)
      - Kamenice
      - Žirovnice
    - Dračice (German: Reißbach)
  - Malše (German: Maltsch; in České Budějovice)
    - Stropnice
    - Černá (German: Schwarzaubach)
  - Teplá Vltava (headwater of Vltava and the whole Elbe-Vltava system)
    - Studená Vltava (German: Kalte Moldau, Altwasser)
- Výmola
- Jizera
  - Klenice (in Mladá Boleslav)
  - Bělá
  - Zábrdka
  - Mohelka
  - Žehrovka
  - Libuňka (in Turnov)
  - Oleška (in Semily)
  - Kamenice
    - Desná
  - Mumlava
- Vlkava
- Výrovka
  - Šembera
- Mrlina (in Nymburk)
- Cidlina (in Libice nad Cidlinou)
  - Bystřice (in Chlumec nad Cidlinou)
  - Javorka
- Klejnárka
  - Vrchlice
- Doubrava
- Chrudimka (in Pardubice)
  - Novohradka
- Loučná
- Orlice (in Hradec Králové; Orlice originates through confluence of Divoká Orlice and Tichá Orlice)
  - Dědina (in Třebechovice pod Orebem)
  - Tichá Orlice
    - Třebovka (in Ústí nad Orlicí)
  - Divoká Orlice
    - Bělá
      - Kněžná
    - Zdobnice
    - Rokytenka (in Žamberk)
- Metuje (in Jaroměř)
- Úpa (in Jaroměř)
  - Ličná
  - Malá Úpa
- Malé Labe
- Bílé Labe

Rivers flowing to the Baltic Sea (Oder basin)

tributaries joining the Oder during its course through Poland (from northern parts of Bohemia (esp. around city of Liberec - Frýdlant Hills, Zittau Basin and NW slopes of the Jizera Mountains) and NW portion of Czech Silesia (esp. Jeseník District))

Drainage basin of the Oder includes the northeast and some northern portions of Czech territory.

Lužická Nisa in Liberec

Bělá in Mikulovice (Jeseník District)

Olza creating Czech-Polish border in Český Těšín/Cieszyn

Ostravice in downtown Ostrava

Natural monument Meandry Lučiny, a preserved meandering section of the Lučina near Havířov

Morávka near Raškovice

Confluence of the Oder (left) and the Opava (right) in Ostrava

Oder (leaves the Czech Republic at Bohumín, empties into the Baltic Sea)
- Lausitzer Neiße
  - Jeřice (in Chrastava)
  - Smědá
  - Mandau
- Bóbr (originates in eastern Giant Mountains – only source with c. 2.5 km of uppermost course are located in the Czech Republic)
- ~~Nysa Kłodzka~~
  - Bělá (a.k.a. Jesenická Bělá, Polish: Biała Głuchołaska)
  - Vidnavka (Polish: Widna)
  - Stěnava (Polish: Ścinawka)
- Osoblaha (Polish: Osobłoga)
  - Prudník (Polish: Prudnik)

tributaries joining the Oder within Czech Republic, i.e. rivers from NE parts of the country, esp. Moravian-Silesian Region

- Olza (below Bohumín)
  - Petrůvka
  - Stonávka (below Karviná)
  - Ropičanka (above Český Těšín)
  - Tyra (in Třinec)
  - Hluchová (in Bystřice)
  - Lomná (in Jablunkov)
- Ostravice (in Ostrava)
  - Lučina
  - Morávka (in Frýdek-Místek)
  - Čeladenka (above Frýdlant nad Ostravicí)
  - Černá Ostravice
  - Bílá Ostravice
- Opava (in Ostrava)
  - Moravice (below Opava)
    - Černý potok
  - Čižina
  - Opavice (below Krnov)
- Ondřejnice
- Jičínka
- Lubina

Rivers flowing to the Black Sea (Danube basin)

rivers from SE regions of the country (i.e. most of Moravia)

(The Morava accounts for almost all discharge, the only exception being the Vlára, which belongs to the Váh subbasin)

Drainage basin of the Danube with Morava, Svratka and Thaya shown in the southeast of the country

Confluence of the Thaya and Morava at A/CZ/SK tripoint

Flooded Jihlava in Třebíč (spring 2006)

~~Danube~~ (empties into the Black Sea, does not itself reach the Czech territory (flowing only through neighbouring countries of Germany, Austria and Slovakia)
- ~~Váh~~
  - Vlára
- Morava
  - Thaya; originates at confluence of Moravian Thaya and German Thaya)
    - Kyjovka
    - Trkmanka
    - Svratka
      - Litava
      - Svitava (below Brno)
        
        Punkva
        
        Křetínka
      - Loučka (originates through confluence of Bobrůvka and Libochůvka)
        
        Bobrůvka
        
        Libochůvka
      - Jihlava (in fact a tributary to Svratka but nowadays their confluence is completely within Nové Mlýny Reservoir, thus creating an impression of a direct tributary to Thaya)
        
        Rokytná
        
        Oslava
        
        Brtnice
        
        Jihlávka
    - Jevišovka
    - Moravian Thaya
    - German Thaya
  - Velička
  - Olšava (above Kostelany nad Moravou)
  - Dřevnice (in Otrokovice)
  - Rusava
  - Moštěnka (above Kroměříž)
  - Haná (above Kroměříž)
  - Valová (this is the name for lower course of Romže after confluence with Hloučela)
    - Romže
    - Hloučela
  - Blata
  - Bečva (originates at confluence of Vsetínská Bečva and Rožnovská Bečva)
    - Vsetínská Bečva (in Valašské Meziříčí)
      - Senice
    - Rožnovská Bečva (in Valašské Meziříčí)
  - Bystřice (in Olomouc)
  - Trusovický potok (in Olomouc-Ćernovír)
  - Oskava
  - Třebůvka
  - Rohelnice
  - Mírovka (below Mohelnice)
  - Moravská Sázava
    - Březná
  - Desná
    - Merta
  - Branná (in Hanušovice)
  - Krupá

tributaries to the Danube from SW borders of the country (i.e. rivers flowing from Bohemian Forest and Upper Palatinate Forest to Upper Austria and Bavaria)

- ~~Große Mühl~~
  - Horský potok (German: Steinerne Mühl)
    - Lhotecký potok (German: Freibach)
    - Mlýnský potok
    - Bukový potok
  - Rožnovský potok (German: Lanitzbach)
  - Světlá (German: Zwettelbach)
    - Urešův potok (German: Steinbach)
  - Hraniční potok (German: Wurmbrandbach)
- ~~Regen~~
  - Chamb
  - ~~Schwarzer Regen~~
    - Großer Regen
- ~~Naab~~
  - Schwarzach
  - Pfreimd
  - Waldnaab

Alphabetical list

Bečva
Berounka
Botič
Bystřice
Bílina
Čeladenka
Chrudimka
Cidlina
Doubrava
Elbe
Flöha
Freiberger Mulde
Gottleuba
Hluchová
Jevišovka
Jihlava
Jizera
Kamenice
Klabava
Klejnárka
Liběchovka
Loděnice
Litavka
Lomná
Lusatian Neisse
Lužnice
Lučina
Malše
Mandau
Metuje
Mírovka
Morava
Moravice
Mrlina
Nežárka
Oder
Ohře
Olza
Opava
Orlice
Oslava
Ostravice
Otava
Petrůvka
Ploučnice
Pšovka
Punkva
Radbuza
Rolava
Sázava
Střela
Svatava
Svitava
Svratka
Teplá
Thaya
Úhlava
Úpa
Úslava
Vltava
Volyňka
White Elster
Želivka

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List of rivers of the Czech Republic Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.