The Olomouc Region has prepared a memorandum on the extension of the Baťa Canal

Olomouc - The memorandum on the extension of the Baťa Canal from Kroměříž to Olomouc has been prepared by the Olomouc regional authority. From this contemplated investment worth several hundred million crowns, they expect to strengthen tourism in the southern part of the Olomouc Region. This memorandum should be signed this year by representatives of Přerov, Olomouc, Kroměříž, and municipalities around the waterway, alongside the leadership of the Moravian River Authority, so that project preparations can begin. This was stated by Governor Ladislav Okleštěk (ANO) to reporters today.

According to Okleštěk, the extension of the Baťa Canal, which is very popular in the Zlín Region, would significantly help tourism and sports usage between Kroměříž, Přerov, and Olomouc. Representatives of the regional office have already held discussions with representatives of the towns and municipalities along the planned recreational water route, which is formed by the Morava River and the Mill Channel, and have received their consent to prepare the memorandum.

The leadership of the Olomouc Region will also sit down at the negotiating table regarding the memorandum for the extension of the Baťa Canal with representatives from the Zlín Region. Okleštěk estimated that the memorandum could be signed this year, during which a detailed study focused on the extension of the Baťa Canal is also expected to be completed.

According to last year's completed spatial study, the project to extend the Baťa Canal, which includes modifications to the riverbeds as well as the construction of harbors, can be brought to life. "The gradual implementation of the plan would clearly increase interest in water tourism and would have a positive impact on the development of tourism in the regions," stated the authors of the study, which is published on the regional authority’s website.

The costs of the project, divided into three basic phases of the spatial study, are estimated to be hundreds of millions of crowns. The main funding is expected to come from the Directorate of Waterways. The promotion of the project would be funded by regional government.

The Baťa Canal measures over 50 kilometers and runs from Otrokovice in the Zlín Region through Veselí, Strážnice, and Petrov in the South Moravian Region to Slovakia to Skalice. In the future, there are plans to extend the route on one side from Otrokovice to Kroměříž and on the other side from Petrov through Rohatec to Hodonín. The length of the canal would thus exceed 75 kilometers. The Baťa Canal attracts around 90,000 visitors annually. At the ports, people can rent around 150 boats.

In the Czech Republic, there are 15 water areas reserved for small vessel navigation, six of which are on the Elbe River in the Ústí Region. Among the most frequented waterways, besides the Vltava Cascade, are the areas around the dams, especially at Orlík, on Slapy, and the Baťa Canal itself. Interest in recreational boating on Czech rivers is growing. Last year, 9,792 boats traveled on the busy Vltava Cascade, which is nearly 40 percent more than the year before. The popularity of boating has also reflected in a higher number of issued permits for recreational and small vessel operators and the registration of new vessels.