The Steamboat Museum was opened on board the Vyšehrad steamboat

One of the most beautiful technical monuments in Czech history – the historic steamboat Vyšehrad – was the site of the grand opening of the only floating museum of steamboat navigation in the Czech Republic. The new exhibition commemorates 160 years of Prague steamboat navigation and offers visitors a glimpse into the rich past and future of shipping.

,,Our goal was to create a place where visitors can touch history, hear the stories of the river, and literally feel the pulse of the steam engine. Vyšehrad thus becomes a living symbol of 160 years of steamboat navigation in Prague," said Pavel Mácha, director of the Prague Steamboat Company.

Among other things, the exhibition features the original steam engine, which visitors can examine in detail, the ship's restored beige paintwork, and the restored paneling of the mayor's lounge. Historical navigation lamps and other authentic elements of ship equipment are also on display.

An important place in the museum is also occupied by an exhibition of the legendary Czech Merkur construction kit, which will celebrate 100 years since its creation in 2025. It includes a unique, almost two-meter-long model of the Vyšehrad steamboat built from Merkur, supplemented by other exhibits and works by children involved in the "Vltava slavná a splavná" (The Famous and Navigable Vltava) project.

,,We searched for a long time for a dignified use for the Vyšehrad steamboat, because its regular operation is demanding. The museum proved to be the ideal solution – the ship itself became an exhibit and at the same time tells the story of the entire history of Czech steamboat navigation," added Pavel Mácha.

The grand opening was accompanied by the finale of the Vltava Relay with water from the source of the Vltava River. A historic raft arrived at Rašínovo nábřeží.