Discover Exciting Waterfowl Adventures in Bohemia: Festivals, Exhibitions, and Scenic Walks

Fairytale Chlum and Čochtanova Třeboň

Třeboň and its nearby areas are calling out for watermen! You can expect to see them during the week of 28 July to 1 August 2025 at the Family Festival Fairytale Chlum, located in Chlum u Třeboně by the Hejtman pond. Each day will feature a magical fairy tale performance, a day and night fairy forest, a singing contest called “Singing Frog,” various competitions on land and in the water, exciting fairy tale workshops, a waterman’s outhouse, horse riding, and many delightful surprises.

The biggest water-themed event is certainly Čochtanova Třeboň. But why is it celebrated in Třeboň? The answer lies with the famous writer and actor Jan Werich, who envisioned a home for the iconic waterman Čochtan from the play “The Wonderful Pot.” He imagined a perfect place for watermen: southern Bohemia and the Třeboň area, known for its many ponds and the Golden Stream. So, from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 August 2025, come to Třeboň to witness the splendor of the waterbuck in all its glory.

A Trip to Meet Chochtan

The festivities for this year’s 28th Čochtan Třeboň festival kick off on Friday 8 August with a gathering of watermen at the fountain on Masaryk Square. The main events will unfold on Saturday 9 August 2025. This includes Čochtan’s fairy tale world showcasing fun activities, Saturday morning challenges in the castle park, a water wheel of fortune, and a water beauty salon. Expect the search for a singing aquatic superstar, a vodnik fashion show, live music, and the highlight of the day, a traditional parade of watermen and rusalek to the Svět pond. Participants are encouraged to wear green and bring mugs, as there will be a shower of fun!

This festival serves as a wonderful gathering for watermen and other enchanting water characters. It aims to celebrate the beloved character of Werich’s famous waterman Chochtan, along with honoring Jan Werich himself and his collaborators and friends from the Liberated Theatre, including Jiří Voskovec and Jaroslav Ježek.

What else can you explore in the city? You can take your kids to the Třeboň in Marzipan exhibition for a sweet experience, visit a unique gallery, check out a chocolatier, and enjoy a fun workshop along with a souvenir shop. Don’t miss the House of Štěpánek Netolický, where there’s a fascinating exhibition showcasing Třeboň’s pond-keeping history and an amazing working model of the Golden Sewer that lets you use small sluices to fill and drain individual ponds.

Enjoy your summer by the water!

More Enchanting Places for Watermen and Waterwomen

• • If you’re curious about the species of water voles found in our area, their rareness, and how river water voles differ from those in ponds, consider taking a tour of the fairy-tale circuit at Choltice Castle. The local Watermen Museum is supported by the popular actor Josef Dvořák.

• • You can encounter boogeymen and hawks from Josef Lada on the Water Walk that leads through Posázaví and Lada’s region. Travelers can discover information boards, illustrations from Lada, resting spots, and playgrounds along the way.

• • Another Vodnická trail meanders through the forests near Hradec Králové, alongside the Biřička, Cikán, and Datlík ponds. This approximately three-kilometer route consists of nine stops where you can read fairy tales with your children under the guidance of a waterman and other mythical creatures.

• • Kabourek, a fond lover of beer and a supposedly good man at heart, used to be a legendary figure among Prague’s watermen. You can find his statue on Čertovka near the mill wheel of Velkopřevorský mill. It was crafted by Josef Nálepa, a patriotic sculptor from Malá Strana, who notably portrayed Salvador Dali in art.

• • Another memorable hastrman is the main character of the novel Hastrman by Miloš Urban, which won the Magnesia Litera award. Based on this book, theater director and musician Ondřej Havelka adapted a film of the same name, filmed in the region below Mount Vlhošt’. Two statues can be admired on the bridge over Beaver Creek, which flows from Dolanský Pond: a virgin at one end and a hawk at the other.

• • There’s also a famous film waterman who rode his bike through the Bohemian Paradise. Remember the movie “How to Get Daddy to the Reformatory?” In it, the waterman, portrayed by grandfather (Josef Karlík), nearly collides with the postman Fanda (Petr Nárožný) on his bicycle. Fanda exclaims: “Vodník! And he calls me Fando!”… leading to some humorous chaos that ends with a babette in the pond. This scene was filmed at the well-known Fork Pond in the Podtrosecká valley.