Prague opened its first steamship museum Wednesday aboard the restored 1938 paddle steamer Vyšehrad, marking 160 years of steam navigation on the Vltava River.
The museum, housed within the historic vessel docked at Rašín Embankment, opens to the public as a permanent cultural monument showcasing Prague’s maritime heritage since steamship service began in 1865.
“The very thing that houses the exhibition is an exhibit,” said Pavel Mácha, director of the Prague Steamship Company, describing the dual nature of the Vyšehrad as both museum space and historic artifact.
First Lady marks opening
First Lady Eva Pavlová participated in Wednesday’s opening ceremony, carrying a ceremonial water capsule from a Vltava raft onto the steamer’s deck. The capsule contained water from both Czech and Bavarian springs that feed the Vltava, collected during a 66-day river journey as part of the Vltava slavná & splavná (Vltava Famous and Flowing) project.
“Thanks to you, we were able to remind ourselves that the Vltava is not only a part of our lives, but also an inspiration, a bond that unites us,” Pavlová told attendees.
Historic vessel’s journey
The paddle steamer Vyšehrad represents Prague’s oldest surviving steamship, originally christened Antonín Švehla on May 1, 1938, named after the First Republic’s multiple-term prime minister.
The vessel underwent several name changes throughout its operational life: Karlstein, TG Masaryk after World War II, and Děvín from 1952.
The ship received modernization in the 1960s and 1980s before major reconstruction in 2006-2007. Prague designated it a cultural monument in 2013, followed by complete renovation in 2018.
The restored Vyšehrad no longer operates as a passenger vessel, instead serving exclusively as a museum exhibit prepared by historian Nikolaj Savický for the Prague Steam Navigation Society.
Connection to major Vltava art exhibit
The museum opening coincided with the culmination of a summer-long cultural project promoting Vltava River heritage. The ceremonial water capsule will be displayed in a major exhibition opening Friday at Prague Castle Riding Hall, marking 150 years since Bedřich Smetana’s famous symphonic poem Vltava premiered.
The Vltava Famous & Flowing exhibition, running until Jan. 4, features more than 400 carefully selected artifacts celebrating the river’s cultural significance. Highlights include Smetana’s original autograph manuscript of the Vltava symphonic poem, iconic paintings by artists including Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka, and the original Baroque statue of Samson from the České Budějovice fountain.
The Prague Castle exhibition also showcases technical exhibits including steamboat models, traditional rafting tools, and moldavites found along the river, alongside artifacts related to water sports and the legendary Ztracenka settlement, the oldest tramping site in Czechia, connected to the Midsummer Streams Nature Trail.
According to National Heritage Institute director Nadia Goryczková, the broader project aims to secure the Vltava’s inclusion among European cultural routes recognized by the Council of Europe, connecting multiple countries through shared waterway heritage.
The museum provides visitors with 160 years of steam navigation history while offering access to the meticulously restored vessel that once carried passengers along Prague’s primary waterway.