Prague 2 Mayor Supports Štěpánská School Visit to the Vyšehrad Paddle Steamer
At the initiative of Jan Korseska, Mayor of Prague 2, pupils from Štěpánská Primary School visited the historic paddle steamer Vyšehrad and took part in the educational programme Vltava vypráví (The Vltava Tells Its Story). We would like to thank the mayor for supporting the visit and selecting the school. The pupils were able to discover Prague from a perspective that the city streets cannot offer – from the deck of a boat on the river that has shaped Prague for centuries.
The river is more than a backdrop
At the beginning of the visit, the captain explained to the pupils and their teachers that the river is far more than a backdrop beneath Prague’s bridges. For centuries, it served as a route, a marketplace and a source of livelihood, as well as a force that the city had to learn to live with.
These were the stories the children discovered aboard Vyšehrad: how the Vltava influenced the lives of Prague’s residents, why the city developed along its banks and how the river shaped the local architecture.
Questions that put their attention to the test
This was no ordinary tour of the boat. The captain prepared several tricky questions, which the pupils answered with enthusiasm and determination.
Did you know, for example, that the Vyšehrad paddle steamer is only half a metre longer than the Petřín Lookout Tower would be if it were laid on the ground? Or why a revolt over salmon once broke out in Prague, and how people could once cross the Vltava almost without getting their feet wet?
Engineering up close
The pupils took a close look at the original steam engine and learned how the unique Morgan paddle wheel works. On deck, they also discovered how the ship’s funnel is lowered when passing beneath Prague’s low bridges.
Prague from the water
The programme also included a cruise. From the boat, the pupils and their teachers admired the city, its bridges and its architecture from a viewpoint that an ordinary walk through Prague cannot provide.
Vltava vypráví presents Prague not as a picture postcard, but as a living city with a river at its heart. We are delighted that everyone enjoyed the visit and already look forward to welcoming more schools ready to listen to the stories of the Vltava.
Discover Prague from the river with your pupils
Vltava vypráví combines a Vltava cruise with an entertaining educational programme aboard the historic paddle steamer Vyšehrad.
Photos from the visit
See how pupils from Štěpánská Primary School explored the paddle steamer Vyšehrad and the stories of the Vltava.
