One of the boats participating in the Vltava Day celebrations this year was a very special one: the Steamboat Elbe, returning to the Czech capital for the first time in 25 years.
The Steamboat Elbe has a long history in Prague. It was originally built in the Czech capital in the 1940s, and ran on the city's Vltava river for nearly 40 years. Due to a damaged boiler and other issues, it was decommissioned in 1986, and anchored by the Smíchov Railway Bridge for another decade.
In 1997, the Steamboat Elbe sank due to its state of disrepair which included a rusted hull, seemingly spelling an end to the historic Prague vessel. But it was salvaged by a German company and found new life in Minden, where it sailed for 20 years on the Wesser River under the names Wappen von Minden and Weserstolz.
Last year, the boat was brought back to the Czech Republic by the Děčín-based Labská plavební (Elbe Sailing) company, which has completely refurbished the vessel and restored its original name.