The Malše is a river in the Czech Republic and Austria, a right tributary of the Vltava River. It flows through Upper Austria and the South Bohemian Region. It is 96.0 km long.

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal name Malch. The land through which the river flows once belonged to someone of that name.

Characteristic

The Malše originates in the territory of Sandl in the Gratzen Mountains at an elevation of 985 m, on the slope of the Viehberg mountain, and flows to České Budějovice, where it enters the Vltava River at an elevation of 384 m. The river is 96.0 km long, of which 89.3 km is in the Czech Republic (including the 22 km stretch that forms the Austrian-Czech border). Its drainage basin has an area of 979.1 km2, of which 869.2 km2 is in the Czech Republic. The longest tributaries of the Malše are:

Settlements

The most notable settlement on the river is the city of České Budějovice. In Austria, the river flows past the territories of Sandl, Windhaag bei Freistadt and Leopoldschlag, then turns north into the hinterland of the Czech Republic. The river then flows through the municipal territories of Dolní Dvořiště, Bujanov, Kaplice, Soběnov, Svatý Jan nad Malší, Velešín, Římov, Doudleby, Plav, Vidov, Roudné and České Budějovice.

Bodies of water

The largest body of water on the Malše and in its whole basin area is the Římov Reservoir with an area of 201 ha. It serves as a drinking water reservoir for České Budějovice and the surrounding area. There are 179 bodies of water larger than 1 ha in the basin area.