Lighthouses of Czechia (Czech Republic)

The Czech Republic (Česká republika in the Czech language) is located in central Europe bordered by Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria. The short name Czechia is also used in English. For centuries it was part of the Habsburg monarchy and its successor, the Empire of Austria-Hungary. The Empire was dissolved at the end of World War I, and Czechia then became part of the new nation of Czechoslavakia. In 1993 Czechoslovakia was peacefully divided into Czechia (the Czech Republic) on the west and Slovakia on the east.

The Czech government prefers Czechia as the short name for the country, although it has traditionally been called the Czech Republic in English.

Commercial navigation in Czechia is limited to the Rivers Labe (Elbe) and Vltava (Moldau); the Vltava is a major tributary of the Elbe, and the Elbe flows northwestward through Germany to the North Sea. Navigation on the rivers is guided by small lighted and unlighted beacons; there are no official lighthouses.

The Czech word for a lighthouse is maják (plural majáky); ostrov is an island, řeka is a river and přístav is a harbor.

General Sources
České Majáky
This site formerly had photos and brief notes describing Czech lighthouses.
World of Lighthouses - Czech Republic
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Lighthouses in the Czech Republic
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for the Vltava.

Modrá Light, Slapy Reservoir, August 2021
Google Maps photo by Marek Veverka
Vltava Lightbeacons
[Libeňský Ostrov]
2011. Active (unofficial; charted as a landmark); focal plane about 7 m (23 ft); white flash every 2 s. 3 m (10 ft) round tower colored with red and white horizontal bands. Michal Čech has a photo and Vladimir Pecha has a distant view from the water (light is at the right edge of the developments) but the small light is not seen in Google's satellite view. Located in a private marina neighborhood at the north end of Libeň Island, on the east side of the Vltava north of downtown Praha (Prague). Site and tower closed (gated neighborhood).
[Jiráskovo (Praha)]
Date unknown. Unlit daybeacon, charted as a landmark by Navionics. Approx. 7.5 m (25 ft) round unpainted tower with lantern. Wikimedia has A. Janovský's closeup photo is seen at right, Brian Gatbonton has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. The beacon is at end of a training wall at the east end of the Jiráskovo dam; the navigation channel is at the other end. Located on the north (downstram) side of the Jiráskův bridge in downtown Praha (Prague). Accessible only by boat but easy to see from the bridge or the neighboring right bank of the river. Site open, tower closed.
* Modrá (Slapy Reservoir)
Date unknown. Active (?); focal plane about 8 m (26 ft); continuous (?) white light. Approx. 7.5 m (25 ft) round stone  tower with lantern. Lantern dome painted black. Marek Veverka's photo is above, a view from the water is available, and Google has a satellite view. The Slapy Reservoir (Vodní nádrž Slapy) is pooled by the Slapy Dam, the first major dam on the upper Vltava, about 50 km (30 mi) south of Prague. Located at a large marina on the west side of the reservoir. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Modrá Loděnice Jachtklub.

 


Jiráskovo Beacon, Praha, February 2010
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by A.Janovský

Morava Lightbeacon
The River Morava flows southward to the Danube through Moravia, the eastern region of the Czech Republic. The river as a whole is not navigable, but the Baťa Canal (Baťův kanál in Czech) provides navigation for small craft for 52 km (32 mi) in the central section of the river.

* [Vnorovy]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 7 m (23 ft); continuous white light. 3 m (10 ft) round metal (?) tower colored with red and white horizontal bands and mounted on a line of small 1-story shops. Rudolf Hes has a photo, Hoblik Darek has a 2021 view, and Google has a satellite view. This looks like an active light although it doesn't have much navigational value. Located at the Vnorovy Lock (Přístav Vnorovy) of the Baťa Canal, on the north side of the Morava near the town of Vnorovy. Site open, tower closed.

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: South: Hungary | West: Austria

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Posted August 12, 2021. Checked and revised December 23, 2023. Lighthouses: 1. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.