Praha - Město a řeka – Bečková Kateřina (2015)

The appearance, character and life of Prague have been fundamentally shaped since its foundation by the Vltava, whose course formed the landscape for settlement in the Prague basin and later for the city that grew into a metropolis. Over the course of its history, the city gradually harnessed the river, using its energy in mills and later power stations, spanning its channel with various types of bridges, modifying its banks and islands, and building embankments. The transformation of the river’s appearance was probably most radical in the 19th century. The Vltava’s banks, previously used mostly as economic outskirts, became sought-after locations with impressive buildings, social centres and elegant promenades. In the first part, the author presents the historical connection between Prague and the Vltava, when the river’s practical functions were particularly important and are now mostly perceived as an aesthetic element completing the city’s picturesque image. In the second part, she guides the reader through contemporary photographs of notable objects and places linking the Vltava with Prague, including historic mills, weirs, riverfronts, islands, water towers, bridges and embankments with their buildings, as well as the river as a setting for the city’s social life. Alongside photographs of exteriors, the text is accompanied by documentary images, an index of locations with a map of the objects, and overviews of the islands, bridges, embankments and associated personalities.