The VLTAVA slavná & splavná (The Vltava River Famed & Flowing) exhibition is the keystone of the project of the same name, which is being organised by the National Heritage Institute together with other partners in 2025 to mark the 150th anniversary of the first performance of Bedřich Smetana's symphonic poem Vltava. Five hundred carefully selected exhibits at the Prague Castle Riding School present the Vltava River as a living symbol of our national identity and highlight its significance in history, art and everyday life. Visitors will see rare literary monuments and archival documents from the 13th century, works of art and technical works, objects associated with important personalities and cultural phenomena that have shaped the image of the river through the ages. The basic idea behind the exhibition is based on three intertwining motifs: a reference to the river’s original name, Wild Ahwa — wild/feral/untamed water the energy and flow of the river, manifested in various ways, real, imaginary and symbolic the real, imaginative and symbolical heart of the river/the Vltava The artistic part of the exhibition includes iconic paintings depicting the Vltava River by Egon Schiele, Václav Špála, Jakub Schikaneder, Bedřich Havránek and Oskar Kokoschka. The allegorical concept of the river is illustrated by important sculptures by Stanislav Sucharda, Václav Prachner and other artists. Among the most significant exhibits are the original Baroque statue of Samson from the fountain in České Budějovice and the statue of St. John of Nepomuk by Jan Brokoff, which served as the model for the first statue on Charles Bridge. A large space is also devoted to the technical and natural wealth of the river. Visitors will see, for example, models of bridges and steamboats, traditional rafting tools, unique moldavites, gold and pearls in their raw form and processed into exceptional jewellery, coins and other artistic artefacts. Themed parts of the exhibition: The Heart of the Vltava The Shaping of the River Places on the River (notable towns, villages and other locations on the Vltava) Vltava Gold and Pearls (actual panning and hunting, but also, and especially, a symbol of the economic and cultural wealth that the river represents) The Energy of the River (the Vltava’s mills, sawmills, hammer mills, power stations, the Vltava cascade Transportation on the River (navigation, shipping) Life by the River (everyday life by the river, sports, tramping) Transport and Technical Works on the River Vltava Tales, Myths and Legends (water spirits, rusalkas, Libuše, Horymír, St. John of Nepomuk, etc.) Emblematic Vltava The VLTAVA Famed & Flowing exhibition is being held as part of a project of the same name by the Ministry of Culture, initiated and sponsored by the National Heritage Institute. The project partners are the Czech Philharmonic, the National Museum, the National Technical Museum, the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague and the National Gallery in Prague. The event is held under the auspices of the President of the Czech Republic, the Ministers of Culture and Transport, and the governors of the South Bohemian and Central Bohemian regions. More date and time Opening hours Mon—Sun 10:00—18:00