The European Rafting Championship 2023 in České Budějovice is just around the corner!

On 21 August 2023 České Budějovice will come alive with some top-level rafting! This city in South Bohemia, recently awarded the title of European Capital of Culture 2028, will see the continent’s best rafters compete in the European Championship. Rafters will also have to face one of the most difficult routes in Europe. You can’t pass up on an opportunity like this!

Don’t miss the chance to see the top rafters from Czechia, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Latvia and the Netherlands in action!

The first heat of the European Rafting Championship 2023 for four- and six-member teams will take place on a man-made slalom course on Czechia’s longest river – the Vltava – in České Budějovice, in the České Vrbné district. In this phase of the championship you can look forward to disciplines such as Sprint, Slalom and the “Head To Head” contact knock-out race.

On Friday, August 25, the competitors will move to Vyšší Brod for the rapids of the Vltava River below the Lipno Reservoir, where the teams will face off in a downriver race.

The main race will then be held on Saturday 26 August on one of the hardest yet most beautiful courses in Europe, running from Loučovice through the feared Čertovy proudy (Devil's Rapids).

For the grand announcement of the winners (the evening of 26 August) the racers will return to the České Vrbné rafting centre in České Budějovice, where the facilities for the entire championship will also be located.

Discover the European Capital of Culture 2028!

You can enhance the experience with a visit to the South Bohemian metropolis, home to the legendary Budweiser Budvar beer. You’re sure to be impressed by the charming sights of České Budějovice, which boasts the biggest square in Czechia.