The Úpa () is a

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

, a left

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the

Elbe The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...

River. It flows through the

Hradec Králové Region Hradec Králové Region (, ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic located in the north-eastern part of the historical region of Bohemia. It is named after its capital Hradec Králové. The region neighbours the Pardubice Region in t ...

. It is long.

Etymology

The name is of the Illyrian or

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

origin, from the word that meant 'river'.

Characteristic

The Úpa originates in the territory of

Pec pod Sněžkou Pec pod Sněžkou (; ) is a town in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 700 inhabitants. The town lies in the Giant Mountains at the base of the highest Czech mountain, Sněžka. From the town a two-s ...

in the

Giant Mountains The Giant Mountains, Krkonoše, or Karkonosze (Czech: , , ), are a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic and the south-west of Poland, part of the Sudetes mountain system (part of the Bohemian Massif). The Czech–Polish bor ...

at an elevation of , on the slope of the Studniční hora mountain. It has the highest source of all Czech rivers. flows to

Jaroměř Jaroměř (; ) is a town in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. It is known for the Josefov Fortress. Josefov is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Repu ...

, where it enters the Elbe River at an elevation of . It is long. Its

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

has an area of , of which in the Czech Republic and rest in Poland. The upper course is characterized by a large drop and a rocky river bed. Its tributaries are mainly small mountain streams. The longest tributaries of the Úpa are:

Settlements

The most notable settlement on the river is the town of

Trutnov Trutnov (; ) is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 30,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone. Administrative division Trutnov consists of 21 ...

. The river flows through the municipal territories of

, Horní Maršov, Svoboda nad Úpou, Mladé Buky, Trutnov, Suchovršice, Úpice, Havlovice,

Slatina nad Úpou Slatina nad Úpou () is a municipality and village in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants. It lies on the Úpa The Úpa () is a river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the E ...

, Červená Hora, Žernov, Česká Skalice, Říkov, Rychnovek and

Bodies of water

There are 266 bodies of water in the basin area. The largest of them is the fishpond Špinka with an area of . A canal from the Úpa also supplies the

Rozkoš Reservoir Rozkoš Reservoir () is a reservoir in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. With an area of , it is the List of dams and reservoirs in the Czech Republic, eighth largest reservoir in the country. Location Rozkoš is located in the H ...

, but it does not belong into the river's basin area.

Protection of nature

The section of the river between Červená Hora and Česká Skalice and the immediate surroundings is known as the ''Babiččino údolí'' ("Grandmother's Valley"). It is protected as a national nature monument with an area is . Protected species of birds such as the

common kingfisher The common kingfisher (''Alcedo atthis''), also known as the Eurasian kingfisher and river kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of ...

, grey wagtail, white-throated dipper,

river warbler The river warbler (''Locustella fluviatilis'') is an Old World warbler in the genus ''Locustella''. It breeds in eastern and central Europe, and into the western Palearctic. It is bird migration, migratory, wintering in inland southern Africa, ...

and

common merganser The common merganser (North American) or goosander (Eurasian) (''Mergus merganser'') is a large sea duck of rivers and lakes in forested areas of Europe, Asia, and North America. The common merganser eats mainly fish. It nests in holes in trees ...

are tied to the Úpa. Other notable representatives of the fauna in the protected area are the European crayfish, European bullhead,

Eurasian otter The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, European river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia and the Maghreb. The most widely distributed member o ...

and green snaketail.

Sport

There is a slalom course on the river in Trutnov. The ''Trutnovské slalomy'' competition is held here every year since 1965.

Tourism

The Úpa is suitable for river tourism, but in the summer there is usually a lack of water in the river. The upper course is only suitable for experienced paddlers. The most popular section is therefore the section from Trutnov-Bohuslavice to Česká Skalice. Grandmother's Valley is connected with life and work of Božena Němcová, who belongs among the most impactful Czech writers. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region. The area of the

Ratibořice Castle Ratibořice Château () is a chateau in Ratibořice village (part of Česká Skalice) in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It stands on an elevated plain below which valley in the bend of the Úpa river widens. Together with Babi� ...

and valley is protected as a national cultural monument.

References

External links

River flow at Zlíč station
– Flood Warning and Forecasting Service of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute {{DEFAULTSORT:Upa Rivers of the Hradec Králové Region Rivers of the Czech Republic