Ohre
Encyclopedia
The Ohře is a 316 km long river
in Germany
(65 km) and the Czech Republic
(251 km), left tributary of the Elbe
. The basin area of the river has a size of 6,255 km², of which 5,614 km² are in the Czech Republic and 641 km² in Germany. It's the third biggest river in the Czech republic.
The source of the river is situated in Bavaria
at the foot of Schneeberg mountain in the Fichtelgebirge
Range near the town of Weißenstadt
.
The Eger flows through the "Weissenstadt Lake" and the towns Roeslau, Marktleuthen
and Hohenberg
where it leaves Germany. After approx. 35 km, the Eger (not to be confused with the town
in Hungary), as the river is called in German, crosses the border to Czech Republic to flow through parts of Bohemia which were known until 1945 as Egerland
. The river passes the cities Cheb
, , Karlovy Vary
, Klášterec nad Ohří
, Kadaň
, Žatec
, Louny
, and Terezín
before flowing into the river Elbe
in Litoměřice
.
Several districts in Germany and the Czech Republic have formed an Euroregion
initiative named Euregio Egrensis to foster cooperation in the region of Eger/Ohře/Cheb.
pun that Ohře got its name from the river Teplá (meaning "warm" in Czech) - "ohřát" means "to warm up." However the real origin, which also shows in the German name, is Celtic from Agara (the "Salmon
River").
The records show the name as Agara, Agira, Agra in 800s and Egire, Egra or Ogra in 1000s and Eger in 1472.
Another theory states that since in Macedonia there exists a lake Ohrid, the slavic people that settled down in the Balkans, particularly Macedonia around lake Ohrid, originated from the area where Ohře is situated and therefore because of the similar nature also called the lake in south Macedonia by the name Ohrid
(less than 500 mm).
, Sokolov
, Loket
, Karlovy Vary
, Ostrov nad Ohří, Klášterec nad Ohří
, Kadaň
, Žatec
, Louny
, Libochovice
, Budyně nad Ohří
, Terezín
and Litoměřice
.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(65 km) and the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
(251 km), left tributary of the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
. The basin area of the river has a size of 6,255 km², of which 5,614 km² are in the Czech Republic and 641 km² in Germany. It's the third biggest river in the Czech republic.
The source of the river is situated in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
at the foot of Schneeberg mountain in the Fichtelgebirge
Fichtelgebirge
The Fichtelgebirge is a mountain range in northeastern Bavaria, Germany. It extends from the valley of the Red Main River to the Czech border, a few foothills spilling over into the Czech Republic. It continues in a northeastern direction as the Ore Mountains, and in a southeastern direction as...
Range near the town of Weißenstadt
Weißenstadt
Weißenstadt is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtelgebirge Mountains, on the river Eger, 11 km northwest of Wunsiedel.- Geography :...
.
The Eger flows through the "Weissenstadt Lake" and the towns Roeslau, Marktleuthen
Marktleuthen
Marktleuthen is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Eger, 10 km north of Wunsiedel and 11 km southwest of Selb....
and Hohenberg
Hohenberg an der Eger
Hohenberg an der Eger is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Eger, on the border with the Czech Republic, 11 km west of Cheb, and 14 km northeast of Marktredwitz. It was home to Hutschenreuther ceramic....
where it leaves Germany. After approx. 35 km, the Eger (not to be confused with the town
Eger
Eger is the second largest city in Northern Hungary, the county seat of Heves, east of the Mátra Mountains. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, historic buildings , and red and white wines.- Name :...
in Hungary), as the river is called in German, crosses the border to Czech Republic to flow through parts of Bohemia which were known until 1945 as Egerland
Egerland
The Egerland is a historical region in the far north west of Bohemia in the Czech Republic at the border with Germany. It is named after the German name Eger for the city of Cheb and the main river Ohře...
. The river passes the cities Cheb
Cheb
Cheb is a city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, with about 33,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Ohře , at the foot of one of the spurs of the Smrčiny and near the border with Germany...
, , Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
, Klášterec nad Ohří
Klášterec nad Ohrí
Klášterec nad Ohří is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. The River Ohře runs through the town.The town has around 15,700 inhabitants...
, Kadaň
Kadan
Kadaň , is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic.The city lies on the banks of the river Ohře. Although it is situated in an industrial part of the Czech Republic there is no major industry within the city and people usually work in offices or have to commute. There are two...
, Žatec
Žatec
Žatec is an old town in the Czech Republic, in Louny District, Ústí nad Labem Region. It has a population of 19,813 .The earliest historical reference to Sacz is in the Latin chronicle of Thietmar of Merseburg of 1004. During the 11th century it belonged to the Vršovci - a powerful Czech...
, Louny
Louny
Louny is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It is situated on the River Ohře.-History:The city was founded in the 12th century . The Church of St Peter stands on the site of the original fort...
, and Terezín
Terezín
Terezín is the name of a former military fortress and adjacent walled garrison town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic.-Early history:...
before flowing into the river Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
in Litoměřice
Litomerice
Litoměřice is a town at the junction of the rivers Elbe and Ohře in the north part of the Czech Republic, approximately 64 km northwest of Prague....
.
Several districts in Germany and the Czech Republic have formed an Euroregion
Euroregion
In European politics, the term Euroregion usually refers to a transnational co-operation structure between two contiguous territories located in different European countries. Euroregions represent a specific type of cross-border region.-Scope:...
initiative named Euregio Egrensis to foster cooperation in the region of Eger/Ohře/Cheb.
Etymology
There is a CzechCzech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
pun that Ohře got its name from the river Teplá (meaning "warm" in Czech) - "ohřát" means "to warm up." However the real origin, which also shows in the German name, is Celtic from Agara (the "Salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
River").
The records show the name as Agara, Agira, Agra in 800s and Egire, Egra or Ogra in 1000s and Eger in 1472.
Another theory states that since in Macedonia there exists a lake Ohrid, the slavic people that settled down in the Balkans, particularly Macedonia around lake Ohrid, originated from the area where Ohře is situated and therefore because of the similar nature also called the lake in south Macedonia by the name Ohrid
Flow
The highest volume flow rate occurs in spring. The average volume flow rate at the mouth is 37.94 m³/s. The lower part of the river flows through areas with the lowest average precipitation in the Czech RepublicCzech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
(less than 500 mm).
Use
Ohře is primarily used for irrigation and hydroenergy. There are two dams: Skalka (built in 1962–1964, area 378 ha) and Nechranice (built 1961–1968, area 1338 ha). The rivers flows through the following important towns: ChebCheb
Cheb is a city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, with about 33,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Ohře , at the foot of one of the spurs of the Smrčiny and near the border with Germany...
, Sokolov
Sokolov (Sokolov District)
Sokolov , Falknov nad Ohří until 1948 is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, located to the north-east of Cheb. It has about 28,000 inhabitants....
, Loket
Loket
Loket is a town of some 3 000 inhabitants in the Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary region of the Czech Republic.Loket means "elbow" in English. The town is named this due to the town centre being surrounded on three sides by the Ohře River, and the shape the river takes is similar to that of an...
, Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
, Ostrov nad Ohří, Klášterec nad Ohří
Klášterec nad Ohrí
Klášterec nad Ohří is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. The River Ohře runs through the town.The town has around 15,700 inhabitants...
, Kadaň
Kadan
Kadaň , is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic.The city lies on the banks of the river Ohře. Although it is situated in an industrial part of the Czech Republic there is no major industry within the city and people usually work in offices or have to commute. There are two...
, Žatec
Žatec
Žatec is an old town in the Czech Republic, in Louny District, Ústí nad Labem Region. It has a population of 19,813 .The earliest historical reference to Sacz is in the Latin chronicle of Thietmar of Merseburg of 1004. During the 11th century it belonged to the Vršovci - a powerful Czech...
, Louny
Louny
Louny is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It is situated on the River Ohře.-History:The city was founded in the 12th century . The Church of St Peter stands on the site of the original fort...
, Libochovice
Libochovice
Libochovice is a town in the Czech Republic. Libochovice is a small town with a population of about 3,469 . It is located next to the Ohře River and Hazmburk mountain.- People born in Libochovice:* Josef Kopta* Abraham Lederer...
, Budyně nad Ohří
Budyne nad Ohrí
Budyně nad Ohří is a town in the Czech Republic.-External links:*...
, Terezín
Terezín
Terezín is the name of a former military fortress and adjacent walled garrison town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic.-Early history:...
and Litoměřice
Litomerice
Litoměřice is a town at the junction of the rivers Elbe and Ohře in the north part of the Czech Republic, approximately 64 km northwest of Prague....
.
Tributaries
- PlesnáFleißenbachFleißenbach is a river of Saxony, Germany....
(Left) - OdravaWondreb (river)Wondreb is a river of Bavaria, Germany....
(Right) - Libocký potok (L)
- SvatavaSvatavaThe Svatava is a left tributary of the Ohře in Germany and the Czech Republic.-Source:...
(L) - RolavaRolavaThe Rolava is a left tributary of the Eger river in the northwest of the Czech Republic.It rises in the Bohemian part of the Ore Mountains about 2 km north of the village of Rolava near the border with Saxony. North of its source is the high moor of Großer Kranichsee, whose waters the Rolava...
(L) - Teplá (R)
- Bystřice (L)
- Liboc (R)
- BlšankaBlšankaBlšanka is a river, a tributary of the Ohře, of the Ústí nad Labem Region in northwest Bohemia, in the Czech Republic. It flows for 49 kilometres.-References:...
(R) - Chomutovka (L)