Canoeing

On the slope of Černá mountain, near Kvilda, close to the border with Germany, the river Vltava springs in the unspoilt natural countryside of the National Park. The spring is definitely one of the most popular tourist attractions here, but of even more importance to water sportsmen is the fact that the Vimperk region is the starting point for canoeing on the best-known Czech river. With enough water in the river bed at the time of the spring thaw, between 15 March and 31 May, boats can go along the Teplá Vltava from Borová Lada. In summer, it is more usual, however, to start the journey a little further down from Horní Vltavice, Lenora, or Soumarský Most.

The ceremonial opening of the boating season traditionally falls on 1 May, and it lasts till the end of October. Soumarský Most has a lively, well-equipped campsite, visited at least once in a lifetime by every boating fan in the country. The 33-kilometre section of the river Teplá Vltava from Lenora to the confluence with the Studená Vltava and further down as far as Lake Lipno is among the most beautiful boating routes in the country. As the river flows through precious natural landscapes on the territory of the National Park, strict environmental standards have to be observed, and if the water level drops too low, boating is stopped because it might affect plant communities in the river bed, and, consequently, rare animals living on the bottom that depend on the plants for food. Information brochures containing advice and maps for boaters are available in all information centres in the region.

Holidays would not be complete without swimming, and the region offers a number of outdoor pools set in wonderful scenery, allowing the holidaymakers to easily combine swimming, hiking, and cycling. Right next to Vimperk there is the Vodník swimming pool and campsite, another is close to the sports stadium in the town, and there are many more in the area around: at Zdíkovec, Žírec, Rohanov, Vlachovo Březí, Lažiště, in Úbislav under Javorník mountain, or in Kvilda. Still within reach, to the south of Prachatice, is the popular Křišťanovice pond, reminiscent of a mountain lake owing to its position, clear water, and the surrounding scenery. There are indoor swimming pools in the region as well, the closest of them in Kubova Huť, and two more on the border of the area in Prachatice and Volary. Moreover, even the huge surface of Lake Lipno is not so far as to be inaccessible from Vimperk, appealing besides water sportsmen also to anglers.