St. John's rapids (''Svatojánské proudy'') was a stretch of fast flowing water on the

Vltava The Vltava ( , ; ) is the longest river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It runs southeast along the Bohemian Forest and then north across Bohemia, through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and Prague. It is com ...

. It was situated at the place of today's

Štěchovice Reservoir Štěchovice Reservoir () is a reservoir on the Vltava River in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It was built from 1937 to 1945 as the second stage of the Vltava Cascade. The reservoir is named after the market town of Štěchov ...

In music

The rapids were part of the inspiration for Smetana's ''

Má vlast (), also known as ''My Fatherland'', is a set of six symphonic poems composed between 1874 and 1879 by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana. The six pieces, conceived as individual works, are often presented and recorded as a single work in si ...

'', and also the title of an opera by Josef Richard Rozkošný (''Svatojánské proudy'').Bedřich Smetana: letters and reminiscences Bedřich Smetana, František Bartoš, Bedřich Smetana - 1955 "Its premiere was given on October 3rd, 1871. The opera is named after the rapids which the river Vltava creates shortly before it reaches Prague. Smetana's symphonic poem Vltava also contains a part which is called "St. John's Rapids"."

References

Rapids Vltava {{CzechRepublic-stub