Discover Fish and Aurochs in Modrá
Freshwater exhibition
At the Modrá complex, which has two underground floors, you can explore the fascinating world of life beneath the water. This special exhibition called Living Water is made up of several sections. The first water areas serve as a demonstration lake that functions naturally and showcases relationships among various aquatic life, including small water creatures. The lake has a depth of 6.5 metres and holds 850 cubic metres of water. Here, you can find fish that are commonly seen in the Morava River and other nearby rivers and ponds, both from the present and the past. In the warmer months, visitors can enjoy a dip in a natural swimming pool with a shallow area filled by an underground spring. The aquatic plants in this pool help purify the water naturally.
Underwater tunnel underground
The underwater tunnel here is a unique experience in Europe. Visitors will find themselves at a depth of 3.5 metres in a tunnel that measures 8 metres long and 3 metres wide. On the left side, you can spot various fish, including chub, grayling, catfish, trout, barbel, and dace. The right side features larger fish, with carp being the most notable resident. Predatory fish like pike, zander, and catfish also live here. A highlight of the exhibition is the sturgeon, a migratory species that historically traveled from the Black Sea to the Morava River. Among the different types of sturgeon, the beluga sturgeon is particularly impressive as it is recognized as the largest freshwater fish in the world. Several beluga sturgeons are cared for at Živá voda, with the largest one measuring over 2 metres and weighing nearly 100 kg.
A herd of aurochs above ground
The breeding of aurochs— the wild ancestors of modern cows— in this area is pretty special. Thanks to the Living Water project, these remarkable animals have been brought back to Moravia after many centuries of absence. While they once roamed across Europe, parts of Asia, and Africa, they were driven to extinction in our region during the 13th century. Aurochs from Milovice in Central Bohemia now inhabit the pasture that is part of the Living Water exhibition. You can observe them from the Aurochs Trail, which takes you along a footbridge four metres above the ground. Along this trail, there are twelve informative stops. These animals have a strong connection to water, with research showing they historically preferred to live near large rivers or wetlands. They complement the various animals displayed in the nearby open-air archaeological museum, which illustrates life during the Great Moravian era. In earlier times, aurochs were among the most commonly hunted wildlife in what is now the Czech Republic, but their numbers dwindled due to hunting by humans. Tickets for the Living Water exhibition also grant you access to the aurochs enclosure. Adult tickets are CZK 120, discounted tickets cost CZK 80, and family tickets are available for CZK 350. It is open during winter from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., except on Mondays, and during summer from April to October, every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
