Czech raft tradition comes alive once again

24 September 2013 News

This summer, one of the highlights for visitors and citizens of Prague alike was a ride on a 53 meter long wooden raft, constructed with traditional practices and made of PEFC-certified timber. The four day visit to the historic Czech capital was preceded by a cruise down the Vltava River from its construction site in Štěchovice.

Made out of spruce logs from PEFC certified forests, each roughly 13 meters long, the raft was constructed with traditional means such as tying bowstrings by hand. With the addition of long oars at the front to steer the craft, the raft reached 60 meters in length.

The activity, coined VOR2013, was part of a unique campaign by PEFC Czech Republic to raise public awareness of the importance of responsible forest management, the benefits of wood and wood products, and the value that PEFC as the certification system of choice for small- and family-forest owners offers by providing evidence of sustainability to consumers. 

“Our event VOR2013 is a celebration of wood and the people who work with it,” explained Josef Myslivec, Chairman of PEFC Czech Republic, during the press conference. “We want to commemorate the wonderful tradition of rafting while at the same time show the current world of forestry and the wood industry to the public.”

The Czech Republic has a long tradition of rafting: the first recorded crafts date back to 14th century when they were used to carry messages and transport timber around the region. This project picked up on these traditions, which attracted media interest throughout the country.

Information tents, materials, shows and other attractions centered around wood, along with representatives from the forest sector, were present throughout the raft’s stay in Prague, between 31st July and 3rd August. The most popular activity was a voyage on the raft - with short cruises held on all three days to give members of the public the opportunity to experience riding the raft first hand. Another highlight was a breathtaking show by Martin Komárek, world vice-champion in timber sport, a competition where the athletes compete in the use of axes and saws in manners typical for lumberjacks.

After three days in Prague the raft embarked on its final journey down the two Prague weirs to Holešovice port. This was its final stop as damage further downstream caused by the June 2013 floods stopped the raft from sailing to its original destination of Štětí. Instead, the wood used to make the raft was donated to help the village of Rudník to repair bridges and other infrastructure damaged by the floods.