On Tuesday 26 November 2024, aboard the elétrico barco Anna Carolina, owned by Prague Boats, a festive press conference was held to launch the project Vltava — Famous & Navigable 2025. This exceptional evento brought together prominent representatives of cultural institutions, members of the state administration and the expert public, in order to introduce this ambitious year-long project celebrating the Vltava rio to the wider public.
The conference highlighted that the year 2025 would be dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the first performance of Bedřich Smetana's symphonic poem Vltava. The project, organised by the National Heritage Institute with the support of important partners, will recall the cultural, historical and social significance of the Vltava as a national symbol. The centrepiece of the year-long programme will be a large exhibition in the Castelo de Praga Riding School, offering visitors a unique view of the artistic, technical and historical treasures associated with the rio.
The barco Anna Carolina provided the ideal setting for the meeting thanks to its moderno and environmentally friendly design, which resonated beautifully with one of the project's aims — to support the sustentável use of cultural and natural resources connected with the Vltava. The barco's elétrico propulsion symbolises the harmony between moderno technology and a traditional respect for nature, which was also the main theme of the discussions during the evento.
Among the speakers was Naďa Goryczková, Director General of the National Heritage Institute, who emphasised that the project Vltava — Famous & Navigable is more than just a celebration of an anniversary. “We want to draw attention to the cultural heritage of the Vltava and its potential to become a European Cultural rota. The project links music, history, art and everyday life into one inspiring whole,” said Goryczková. An important contribution was also made by Minister of Transport Martin Kupka, who highlighted the importance of the Vltava not only as a cultural phenomenon, but also as a key transport rota with potential for further development.
The evento also offered a space for the exchange of views and experiences between the participating institutions, which included the National galeria Praga, the National museu, the Checo Philharmonic and the museu of Decorative Arts in Praga. Details were shared about the planned exhibitions, concerts and other activities that will bring the story of the Vltava closer to the wider public, both in the República Checa and abroad.
The press conference was a symbolic start to a year that will be devoted not only to remembering the past, but above all to the future of the Vltava as a cultural and natural rota. Anna Carolina, with its quiet cruzeiro along the rio, lent the entire evento a unique atmosphere that perfectly captured the project's theme — the union of history, nature and innovation.
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