Alba, canal de District de Rychnov nad Kněžnou, Hradec Králové, République tchèque
Alba is a man-made canal near Častolovice in the Rychnov nad Kněžnou District that carries water from the Bělá River to the Dědina River. The waterway runs for about 27 kilometers through changing landscapes of forests and open fields, with banks stabilized by trees and reinforced with stone in some sections.
The canal was built before 1400 and is one of the oldest structures of its kind in the Czech Republic. For centuries it supplied water to mills, sawmills, and fish ponds, shaping the region's agricultural and industrial practices since medieval times.
The canal is accessible for paddlers and offers kayaking and canoeing with varying difficulty levels and some narrow, deep sections requiring caution. Check water conditions before trips, as heavy rain can cause water levels to rise quickly.
The canal bears the affectionate local nickname Vantroka and shows traces of adaptation across centuries, including reinforced stone banks and preserved structures of former water mills. These details reveal how generations shaped water flow to serve local needs.
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