From the earliest times the river Vltava has influenced life in Prague. The steamer marked an important historical episode here which changed the character of the banks of the Vltava and the lifestyles of the inhabitants of the city. Steamers and passenger transport by boat have been a part of Prague since the 1940´s and remain a part of the historical colour of the city today.
The tradition of steamboats started with the first attempts of Josef Božek and his steam-powered boats which were introduced in Prague at the beginning of the 19th century. The first steamboat Bohemia was built by the Englishman John Andrews Ruston who, together with her owner John Andreas, introduced the boat to the people of Prague in May 1841.
In 1865 Prague townsmen associated with timber merchant and future Prague mayor František Dittrich founded the Prague Company for Steamboat Operations on the Vltava River (beginning in 1895 the Prague Company for Steamboat Operations on the Vltava and Elbe Rivers in Bohemia and after 1913 the Prague Steamboat Company, PPS). After receiving a concession from Emperor Franz Josef I the company ceremoniously launched the steamboat Praha-Prag built in the Ruston & Co. machine works on the route from Prague to Štěchovice.
|
|
 |
Franz Joseph Steamer (named after the Emperor Franz Joseph) was bought by the Prague Steamboat Company for one particular reason - the regular cruise from Prague to Mělník. The first cruise took place on 26th of May 1912.
|
 |
|
|
 |
At the turn of the 19th and 20th century the number of steamboats in Prague was steadily increasing, there were several big paddle boats - Vyšehrad, Primátor Dittrich, Ferdinand I., František Josef I. and Smíchov as well as smaller ones - Šárka and Závišť.
|
|
|
|
 |
After the Prussian-Austrian that in 1866 which came to an end in the battle by Hradec Králove the politiccal situation calmed down and the Company headed for a period of steady development. It acquired several new boats and found itself a new place – between the Jirásek Bridge and the Palackého Bridge – where it is still situated nowadays.
|
|
|
|
 |
František Dittrich is a person whose name will be forever connected with the beginnings of steamboats in Bohemia. He was born into a poor family but worked very to eventually become the mayor of Prague.
|
|
|
|
|
The cruise boat Visla has been cutting the waves of the Vltava since 1965, in which time it has gone through some conversions and now, on its decks, you can head off on a sight-seeing cruise through Prague or go on a longer trip to Prague´s surrounds. The vessel is also oftenrented for private use. You can make use of its two bars, a lounge, a dance-floor and its partially covered deck.
|
|
|
|
 |
The first regular steamboat river cruise on a big river was established on the Danube river in 1830. The beginnings of steamboats in Bohemia as well as central Europe are closely connected with two people, John Andrews and Joseph John Ruston.
|
|
|
|
 |
The first attempts in Bohemia with steamboats are connected with Josef Božek, a mechanic from the Royal Czech Estate Technical Institute, who amazed people in Prague by showing them the first steamboat in Stromovka.
|
|
