The Vltava is the principal river of Bohemia, the historic region at the heart of the Czech Republic.
It is the country’s longest river, extending about 431 kilometres when the Teplá Vltava headstream is included. The river rises in the Bohemian Forest, flows north through Český Krumlov and České Budějovice, and then passes through Prague before joining the Elbe at Mělník. Its waters ultimately reach the North Sea.
The Vltava is deeply tied to Czech history and culture. Prague grew around its banks, and the river is crossed by landmarks including Charles Bridge. The Czech composer Bedřich Smetana made it internationally famous through “Vltava,” the second movement of his symphonic cycle Má vlast. The German name Moldau is still encountered in historical and musical contexts.
The main confusion is with the Elbe: the Vltava is a tributary of the Elbe, not the other way around in modern hydrological classification. The Oder and Morava are also important Czech rivers, but they drain different parts of the country.