Swans in Prague. Geese-swans in Prague Petra's Swan: a love story

Over the centuries, the cities along the river banks grew and changed. And the rivers themselves have become different: the water in them has become cloudy and is no longer suitable for drinking; For a long time now women have not washed or rinsed their clothes in it.

But nevertheless, rivers still decorate cities, organically fit into their landscape, rock boats on their waves and refresh the air. People did not manage to forge all the shores with stone embankments. There are still thickets of willow trees, sandbanks, and quiet backwaters in some places. There are fish in the rivers, ducks swim, and dragonflies fly over the water in summer. Birds live in the coastal thickets.

Vltava in the last century

The appearance of the river naturally changes depending on the weather and seasons, but previously these changes were much more noticeable. In winter, the river in Prague froze. First, transparent pieces of ice appeared along the banks, and soon the ice covered the entire river and became thicker and thicker. The first ice skating enthusiasts ran out onto it, and in January and February the thickness of the ice made it possible to build hockey rinks and cross from one bank to the other.

With the spring sun the winter sports season on the Vltava ended. From the high embankments and bridges, Prague residents carefully watched the river, listened to the ice breaking and the noise and crackling sounds encountered by the floating ice floes. This spectacle sometimes lasted several weeks: ice floes from the tributaries of the Vltava, the Sazava and Berounka rivers floated along the Prague shores.

Seagulls brought real spring to Prague on their wings, flying in flocks over the city. Prague residents threw crumbs of bread at them, and birds caught them in flight or descended into the river waves after them. A favorite place for this entertainment was the embankment between the National Theater and Charles Bridge. At this time of year, photographers, professional and amateur, regularly appeared here, and photographs of the embankment with seagulls were always printed on the covers of illustrated magazines.

The seagulls disappeared as quickly as they appeared, and they returned to Prague only in the fall. Ducks also came with the seagulls in the spring, but they stayed on the Vltava and raised their ducklings here.

In the summer, a cheerful noise was heard over the river: wooden baths appeared on the banks of Prague, which were very popular. On hot weekends, Prague residents went to the Vltava with their families. We swam in the city center, near the Prague islands and along the grassy shores of the southern outskirts of Prague: in Podol, Branik and Modřany.

In autumn, flocks of migratory birds appeared above the river again, and the river waited for the first frosts.

This is what life on the Vltava looked like until the mid-twentieth century. After the war, in the 1950-60s. A number of dams and hydroelectric power stations were built upstream of Prague. In winter, the river no longer freezes, but in summer, on the contrary, its water is much colder than before. As a result, in winter the opportunity to skate disappeared, and in summer few people dared to swim in the cold and much dirtier water.

Migratory birds have also felt the gradual climate change. Seagulls and ducks remain in the city all year round. In addition to them, swans and even cormorants (cormorants) appeared in Prague. At first there were very few of them, but gradually their number increased, and now they have become an integral part of the Prague bird world.

Swan - a fabulous bird

The word “swan” always evokes vivid emotional associations. The swan is music, poetry and fairy tale. Since childhood, we have been familiar with Pushkin's Princess Swan and Andersen's ugly duckling, who turns into a beautiful swan. Everyone knows about P. I. Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Swan Lake” and can imagine the slender row of graceful legs of the ballerinas in “Dance of the Little Swans”, as well as about “The Dying Swan” performed by Anna Pavlova or Maya Plisetskaya. Fans of the poetry of Marina Tsvetaeva will also remember her “Swan Camp”. Wanting to emphasize female beauty, we often mention the swan neck; We emphasize the grace of gait with the expression “like a swan swimming”; speaking about true love, we use the words “swan fidelity”, and about the last and most important achievement - “swan song”.

“The swan, due to its size, strength, beauty and majestic posture, has long been rightly called the king of all aquatic, or waterfowl. White as snow, with shiny, transparent small eyes, with a black nose and black paws, with a long, flexible and beautiful neck, he is inexpressibly beautiful when he calmly swims between the green reeds on the dark blue, smooth surface of the water. But all his movements are full of charm: will he start drinking and, scooping up water with his nose, raise his head up and stretch his neck; will he begin to swim, dive and splash with his mighty wings, scattering far away splashes of water rolling off his fluffy body; will it then begin to preen itself, easily and freely arching its snow-white neck back, straightening and cleaning with its nose the crumpled or dirty feathers on its back, sides and tail, will its wing spread through the air, as if a long slanting sail<...>“Everything about it is picturesque and magnificent.” These are not my enthusiastic words, this is how S. T. Aksakov described the swan in the book “Notes of a Gun Hunter,” first published in 1852 (cited from the publication of Kushnerev and K, Moscow, 1909).

The first appearance of swans in the capital became something of a curiosity. Today, city residents are already accustomed to them, and swans, in turn, are accustomed to Prague residents and Prague. They liked city life: the river doesn’t freeze, and people feed them - in general, grace. They are not disturbed by the noise of traffic; once a year they calmly build nests and hatch from five to eight chicks. The incubation process lasts quite a long time, 35-38 days, and this is done exclusively by the female. The swan does not leave her, and then the parents take care of the offspring together. The fidelity of the swan couple can serve as an example for us.

The favorite place of Prague swans today is the area of the railway bridge. There is a ship pier with restaurants, and parents and children walk along the shore, feeding the birds. Swans live on both sides of the river. Along the embankment near Vyšehrad they show off and entertain spectators, and sail off to rest on the opposite sandy Smichov shore. In these places, swans come onto land. A walking swan is significantly inferior to a swimming one in beauty and grace; its gait is clumsy - in a word, like a goose. From time to time you can see the flight of swans, accompanied by the sonorous splashes of their mighty wings.

It is convenient to observe the life of these birds from the bridge: on the sides of the railway track there are paths for pedestrians. Try to at least roughly calculate how many there are. Ornithologists suggest that more than a hundred swans live in this part of the Vltava.

Not long ago, another unexpected winged guest appeared in Prague - the cormoran, a representative of the cormorant family. These birds also liked life in Prague, although there are not so many of them in the city yet (we carefully repeat the word “yet”). Cormorans are greatly disliked by fishermen - these are their competitors: a small flock of Cormorans is capable of completely catching all the fish in their favorite pond. Cormorans build their nests on tall trees, and they treat people with distrust and don’t let them get close to them. Their dark elongated silhouettes can today be seen on the concrete walls of Prague dams, where the birds sit motionless for hours and watch the flow of the river.

Walking along the embankments of the Vltava and meeting representatives of birds that do not leave hospitable Prague even in winter will be a pleasant entertainment during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

On all my European trips to Prague, I set aside one day, and not always the whole day. In vain, of course. This is not enough even for the historical center, but even more so for leisurely walks and a detailed acquaintance with the city. Although there is a plus in this (perhaps the only one) - in all my photos Prague is depicted in its most trump angles. From a tourist point of view, of course. There are no “atmospheric” photos of distant and untrodden nooks and crannies in my archive, as well as summer photos of this beautiful city. For now!

Our hotel was located some distance from the center, three metro stations from Wenceslas Square. I don’t know Prague very well, so it was most convenient to start and end the walk here. Once upon a time there was a horse market on the site of this square, and now local residents gather here for any occasion. Most often, the hockey victories of the Czech national team are celebrated en masse.

In January, Wenceslas Square looks a little dull, and the wind is strong here, so we take a few photos of beautiful buildings and turn into quieter streets.

I love looking at facades like this.

Balconies, bay windows... mmm...! But the cold wind literally drove me away from the square.

On the opposite side is the Wiel House, named after the architect who built it in 1896. In our times this is a bookstore.

An unknown building with a clock.

Well, that’s it, my fingers are completely frozen, so I’m in a hurry to leave Wenceslas Square and turn into quiet, almost deserted streets, even on a day off.

The embankment of the Vltava River, across which 10 bridges are thrown, and there are 18 in total in Prague.

Walking along the opposite bank, we continue to enjoy looking at the facades of houses on the embankment.

All buildings are almost the same in height. The eye is pleased with such architectural aesthetics.

Charles Bridge, connecting the historical districts of Lesser Town and Stare Mesto, is undoubtedly the most famous of Prague's bridges. Its length is 520 m. The bridge is decorated with thirty sculptures, each of which Prague guides have their own tourist story about.

View from the bridge downstream (in my case to the right).

In addition to the huge number of ducks and swans, which we will talk about separately, there are a lot of greyhound gulls in Prague. Anything edible that is in the hands of small children is easy prey for them. We fought back =).

I couldn’t help but take a photo of this lovely little shop. I’m sure it’s not empty in the summer, but I personally didn’t dare sit on it at -9.

The most beautiful view is again from the Charles Bridge, but upstream. The same swans, generously fed by tourists.

The photo is quite early in the morning, so I was easily able to capture the bridge with a small number of people.

We turned off the Charles Bridge and headed down to the embankment to watch the swans. Along the way, we are looking for a grocery store so that “we won’t visit empty-handed,” but apart from a confectionery shop selling pretzels, we didn’t come across anything. Okay, pretzels are just pretzels. They really won't refuse!

There's always something wrong with these kids! =)

And with adults too... Such is the sculptural composition in the courtyard where the Kafka Museum is located. These two unscrupulous comrades, by the way, relieve themselves on the map of the Czech Republic!

Well, we got closer to these beauties. How graceful and... arrogant they are! They swim up in a gang and demand a treat! My two pathetic pretzels were gone in a moment. Oh, you should have a sliced loaf here, guys!

After feeding the swans, we decided to have a snack ourselves. I will leave the gastronomic component of our Prague walk without attention, because... (don’t throw slippers at me) I don’t drink beer even in the Czech Republic, and a duck with a boar’s knee terrifies me just by its appearance.

Having refreshed ourselves, we headed up towards Vysehrad - the historical district of Prague, located on a hill. Along the way we came across beautiful buildings and temples unknown to me. I confess that I was poorly prepared for this trip.

Well, you understand, yes, that I often photograph facades =).

And intricate door handles and locks sometimes come into view.

As soon as you climb the NNth number of steps up (the fitness bracelet will be happy with you) and see the Starbucks balcony filled with Chinese, know that you are already close. By the way, this is the coolest Starbucks I've ever seen. I haven’t been to Dubai yet.

We got there close to sunset.

So that there are no truly stunning views. Although the day was sunny, the sunset was not so great. It’s winter after all, so a few photos of Prague’s red roofs and you can leave this good place for viewing without regret and try to get to the cathedral before dark.

Here it is, St. Vitus Cathedral - the pearl of Prague Castle. Until 1836, Czech kings were crowned here.

Despite the very cool weather by the standards of these latitudes (let me remind you that it was -9 outside), there were many who wanted to lie down on the paving stones in front of the cathedral to capture it in its entirety. As you understand, I am not one of these crazy people.

Christmas has passed, but they decided to leave the decorations for now.

This is the last photo taken before dark. Soon the sun set and we, wandering through the streets covered in the evening twilight, wandered towards the bars.

Later, in a great mood, we took a leisurely 30-minute walk to the hotel. The frost got worse and at night it was about -17, which is quite usual for us (I put on a hat and that’s it), but the Czechs were in shock. They are kind of heat-loving.

When leaving, I once again promised myself to return here for at least 3 days and in the warm season. There are so many things I haven’t seen in Prague yet!

When we were preparing for our honeymoon in Prague and planning our wedding day, I searched the Internet for photos and information about parks, gardens in Prague, and some very romantic places in Prague where we could take a walk or have a small picnic. I very often came across wedding photographs of newlyweds feeding swans in Prague, but I still couldn’t find information about where they were, what kind of embankment it was, where you could come and feed the swans.

When we were in Prague and looking for places for a wedding walk with guests, we went on reconnaissance to look for this secret place with swans in Prague. It turned out that this place was not secret at all, as I thought. When we walked along the embankment, approaching the Charles Bridge, on the opposite bank we saw this very place. Here it is

We crossed the Charles Bridge to the opposite side and turned right. To find and see swans in Prague, follow the address of the Franz Kafka Museum (in the photo above, its sign is visible on the left).

Swans are the sweetest creatures, a swan couple remains faithful to each other all their lives, which is why swans are one of the purest symbols of love! By a wonderful chance we were able to see this tender manifestation of feelings. I've never seen anything like this. Incredible!

But then something attracted the attention of this wonderful couple, and they were distracted from each other. Someone must have come with fresh white bread to treat the swans.

These swans are not at all shy; when they see bread, they immediately run to eat it, so come to the swans in Prague with bread, and preferably fresh, they are selective!

We even managed to film a short video of swans feeding in Prague, it’s a fun activity, I’ll tell you! We went back there on our wedding day and have been there several times since. You should definitely take a walk to this place and look at these cute creatures!

I have marked this place more accurately on the map below. Cross the Charles Bridge and then turn right along U lužického semináře street, then go down Cihelná street. Not far from this place there is the Franz Kafka Museum, the Pissing Boys Fountain, and the Voyanov Gardens.

These majestic creatures live on the Vltava River and small ponds all year round. Walking along the embankment, it is difficult not to notice their curved snowy necks, bright red beaks and massive bodies.

Swans are migratory birds, but they are in no hurry to fly away from Prague. There are almost no frosty winters here, there is a lot of light food and even more admiring attention. Swans are among the revered heroes of folk tales and legends. Gray ducks swimming nearby look rather modest against their background.

Local residents and city guests treat swans almost like pet birds. Swans are not at all shy and consider the river their full-fledged patrimony. Large flocks slowly drift along it, and these aggregations attract many people. The most impudent birds often come ashore, arch their necks, look straight into your eyes, demand their rightful piece of bread and take it right out of your hands. Swans have to take the initiative, because nimble seagulls and ducks are constantly scurrying around.

A little about security

Mature and experienced swans know how to warmly welcome a generous guest. Noticing that they can make money, they warmly raise their luxurious wings. Having won attention, they swim up and carefully eat from the hand. Young and timid birds often wait with their necks stretched out. And it’s better to be careful not to reach out to them. During feeding, they can very sensitively grab a finger, because their beaks are solid. Therefore, it is much safer to simply throw the food into the water. This is also a very impressive sight. And of course, children can only be closely introduced to “reliable” and “proven” birds.

What to feed?

Swans can eat almost anything that does not drown in water, including chips. But the most win-win option is an ordinary bun. Birds notice how crumbs are thrown into the river and swim to this place. When the food has been tasted and appreciated, the swan may swim closer. In addition to bread, you can use finely chopped vegetables such as carrots, apples, cabbage and lettuce leaves, as well as a special grain mixture from a pet store.

Rules and etiquette

People in Prague are very kind to swans. It will be considered good form if you prepare for the feeding procedure in advance. In different places along the Vltava embankment you can see people with bags of bread neatly cut into small pieces.

Most swans behave with dignity, measuredly and rather leisurely. Birds cannot always quickly remove their necks in case of danger. Therefore, when feeding, you need to be as careful as possible and not make sudden movements, so as not to accidentally injure the bird. Do not forget that the swan is an impressively sized bird with a large wingspan and a powerful beak. If threatened, he himself can injure the offender.

How to feed?

Because swans usually compete for food with other birds, a noisy rush is created. In such a situation, you can divide the birds into separate groups, as local residents sometimes do. They bring several bags with different food. Cereals are crumbled onto the steps for the pigeons, and small crumbs of bread are thrown further into the river for the seagulls. The ducks move towards the seagulls. As a result, the swans are the closest and eat the choicest pieces almost out of hand.

Best places to feed

From there you need to go down to the right bank of the Vltava. And walk along the river to the floating boats Matilda and Clotilde. Here, a lot of birds get caught both from ships and from kind passers-by. In this place you can get close to the water itself and chat to your heart’s content with friendly birds.

The Mill Canal and the Vltava River are favorite habitats for beautiful and ever-hungry birds. Flocks of swans, ducks and seagulls literally cling to the shores of the island in the hope of profiting. There is a place like a beach, where there is no equipped stone embankment. Swans freely come ashore, walk, set up a rookery, preen their feathers, come close to people and ask them for food. You can walk to the Malaya Side along the Manesov Bridge and immediately after it go down to the water. A good guideline is .

This place is great for feeding from boats and catamarans.

Palacky Bridge

Another voracious flock lives near the bridge near the piers.

The Prague swans are a floating Prague landmark, beautiful and biting.

These, at first glance, modest handsome men, decorously arching their long necks, float along the Vltava, dividing the city into two parts - right in the center, between three bridges. Everyone knows them - every Prague resident, every tourist!
I could still survive this.
But they are not only known and praised, they are publicly nurtured!
This is something I can no longer survive. I die every time.
From hunger. And out of envy.
Why them and not me? Am I not handsome?

Swans in Prague are white and fluffy, a symbol of purity and eternal love; they don’t even bother to fly away for the winter. They feel good here. Winter is mild. In January, at -7, Czechs shout: “We are having the coldest winter in the last 100 years!”
Half a thousand birds crest along the shores and wait for food. The really desperate people put up advertisements.

Swans on the Vltava. Prague. Winter

In winter, the Vltava has not frozen for over 60 years!

“WE ARE HUNGRY! We like bread, baguettes, lettuce, apples, apple skins, boiled vegetables. Thank you! YOUR SWANS"

And they are fed. They are pampered. They are revered. Swans in Prague live under special patronage. They no longer walk around without security.

They slow down the trams - the same ones that no one will stop, and create traffic jams on the bridges!

In addition, they receive free protected living space. For beauty.

And they allow themselves too much! I personally know the victim of a swan attack that happened at dawn last November. Having surrounded a fragile Moscow girl dreaming of taking a selfie with birds in the rays of the rising sun, the swans attacked the victim with unprecedented impudence and chewed on a bag of fresh rolls. The leader of the feathered group, a bird with a dubious past, cunningly grabbed a selfie stick and hurried to flee the crime scene. But you can’t take Muscovites so easily! The selfie stick returned to the owner’s hands after a short but very entertaining conversation.

The annual number of victims is hidden, statistics have not been made public to this day, but I assure you, the number goes into the thousands!

The Prague Swan is certainly beautiful, but extremely cunning and very greedy. Brazen and daring creatures. I'm not friends with them. They make me nervous... One nasty white swan once pinched my... butt. I don't like them.
And my two-legged one cheats on me with them and fills their insatiable beaks. What I wrote about with sorrow in .

These impudent people have made the Vltava so comfortable that they have started to rule the city too! Over the years, New Year's fireworks, which were launched on the river - from a large boat - have been replaced. Since 2013, fireworks have been moved to the city so as not to disturb the palmates.

Then these white and bottomless people took over the city budget - hundreds of thousands of crowns went to the quacking greedy people! For what? Why?

Because every year dozens of kamikaze swans crash into tram electrical wires on bridges. The Czechs counted the dead, mended the necks of those still alive, became sad and thoughtful. And then they started attaching scarers to electrical wires - they shine ultraviolet light directly into the birds’ eyes and scare them with terrifying sounds! But these gluttons are so big that when they rise into the air and pick up speed, they don’t always have time to dodge... Especially in the darkness, when the signs are hard to see.

Dead birds near Prague City Hall with the accompanying text: “Shame on your fireworks”

If one day you decide to feed these swallowers, take care of your hands. Experienced swans bite like a dachshund would never dare - unceremoniously and without a twinge of conscience. And where can conscience come from? One belly and a neck. Bring them some bread, or better yet some chopped herbs, treat them and wait. They will come to rummage through your pockets.

Because this is the white mafia of Prague!

If you're lucky, you might meet local Glodav, red Bobrik!
He is a Glodavets because he chokes from hunger (a rodent in our opinion), which, however, is noticeable by his skinny butt.
He is a professional nutria. Swans are also kept at bay by most tourists. Very cute. He started a family with children on free grub.

Watch the video to end and you will understand how charming this guy is!

Glodavets with his retinue of swans! This is what they look like - waterfowl gluttons of the city of Prague.

And yet I don’t understand at all why they all get more than me.
They are beautiful?
Me too.
They are hungry?
Me too!
But they don’t give me bread...
I don't understand.

Let me remind you that we have already talked about the difficult life of dogs in the Czech Republic -!

Respectfully,
Your hungry chapmaker

Peter the Swan: a love story

Black Swan Petra fell in love with a swan-shaped boat. The boat owners tried several times to separate the loving Petra from her plastic partner, but their attempts were unsuccessful. Moreover, Petra refused to fly south alone, without her beloved. Typically, owners store their boats in storage for the winter. But in this case, an agreement was reached with Allwetter Zoo - the lovers (the boat and Petra the swan) will be moved to a small lake next to the elephant pavilion for the winter. George Adler, director of the Allwetter Zoo, said:

“We may have to do this every winter now because the swan obviously truly believes he has found a partner for life.”

This is a true story that took place in northern Germany. According to The Guardian.

Swans in Prague: interesting facts

Swans enjoy wintering in Prague because The Vltava doesn't freeze- thanks to the cascade built on the river in the 60s.

The last time the Vltava froze completely was in 1056.

In Prague 500-600 swans winter annually.

The first wild swans settled in the Czech Republic after the Second World War.

95-100 wounded swans per year goes to the veterinary center. Dozens of birds die.

Swans injured at night and during fireworks, crashing into the electrical wires of tram lines invisible at night, which in the Czech Republic are under voltage of 600 volts.

Since 2013, the system began to be implemented on bridges where tram tracks are laid. Firefly– marking of electrical wires to scare away birds.

Three species of swans live in the Czech Republic: small swan (4-9 kg), whooper swan (7-10 kg) and mute swan (8-12 kg). The latter are the most common.

The whooper swan is the national symbol of Finland.

The mute swan is the national symbol of Denmark.

In addition to swans, the Vltava, which flows in the capital, is home to seagulls, ducks, pigeons, nutria, 33 species of fish and crayfish; mollusks, river shells and pearl barley live at the bottom.

Where to feed swans in Prague:

Kampa Island – at the exit to the Vltava
Streletsky Island
Palackého bridge (Palackého most),
Manes Bridge (Mánesův most),
Legia Bridge, also known as the Legionnaires' Bridge (most Legií), passing over Streltsy Island,
Jiráskův most (Jiráskův most) near the Dancing House
On the Smichov embankment near the Railway Bridge (Železniční most)