At this year's Belgrade Boat Show, visitors had the opportunity to enjoy the Traveling Exhibition Zdenjek Lička – "By Kayak from the Black Forest to the Black Sea" , a polar explorer, writer, and diplomat, who kayaked the entire length of the Danube from the Black Forest to the Black Sea. Between 2015 and 2016, Zdenjek covered 2800 kilometers of this magnificent river, passing through ten European countries – Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine
PhDr. Ing. Zdenjek Lička (www.zdeneklycka.cz)
In July 2015, Zdenjek Lička (Zdeněk Lyčka) set off for the Black Forest in the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg. In the town of Donaueschingen, where the two source streams of the Danube – Breg and Brigah – converge, he boarded his kayak. After three weeks and 1250 kilometers traveled, he exited the kayak 100 km south of Budapest. On his journey, he encountered aquatic vegetation and various types of insects. He overcame 40 weir dams and walked through the dried riverbed of the Danube, but also enjoyed the stunning landscape of the Wachau Valley in Austria and the unique view of the Parliament in Budapest. A year later, he continued his journey from Paks in Hungary, through Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, part of Moldova, all the way to Ukraine. In 2016, he kayaked 1550 kilometers, and the journey took three more days than the previous year. He paddled past Czech villages in the Romanian part of Banat, saw the 40-meter-high stone sculpture of the Dacian king Decebalus, and crossed the legendary dam and double-step river lock of the Iron Gate, which tamed the wild Danube whirlpools that once terrified all Danube pilots – the lighthouses.
Can you imagine millions of mosquitoes in the Danube Delta, whose night shift begins with the last rays of the setting sun? On the other hand, who has had the opportunity to see pelicans and white-tailed eagles up close? Visitors to the exhibition had a unique opportunity to admire photographs of hidden, romantic places and the untamed power of Europe’s second-longest river, which flows through ten countries.
This impressive journey, described in the book “By Kayak from the Black Forest to the Black Sea,” published in 2017, was also presented in the exhibition with Lička’s fascinating photographs. The author similarly described his adventure in the book “By Kayak from Prague to the North Sea” in 2014, as well as his journey through the Oder in 2017 in “By Kayak from North Moravia to the Baltic Sea.” These reports are a continuation of the author’s debut “Skiing Across Greenland” from 2012, in which he describes the 600-kilometer long, challenging ski crossing over the Greenland continental glacier. Zdenjek Lička’s latest book, “By Kayak from the Alps to the North and Mediterranean Seas,” was published in 2022.
The grand opening of the exhibition at the Captain’s Club was attended by many distinguished guests, including the Czech Ambassador to Serbia, Jan Bondi. He addressed the audience and emphasized the significance of Lička’s research and travels. As a token of gratitude for his contribution to the development and preservation of the tradition of the Sokol Movement, the ambassador was awarded a plaque, further highlighting the importance of his dedication and support for the preservation of cultural values between the Czech Republic and Serbia. Also, present at the event were other lovers of yachting and adventure, as well as many visitors to the exhibition who had the opportunity to enjoy inspiring stories and incredible photographs.
Czech Ambassador to Serbia, Jan Bondi (left)
Photos credits: Vladimir Milovanović-Mića
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
PhDr. Ing. Zdenjek Lička (www.zdeneklycka.cz) studied systems engineering at the VŠB in Ostrava, as well as modern philology with a specialization in Danish and English at Charles University in Prague. Before the Velvet Revolution, he worked as a programmer, and in 1990, he began his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
From 1991 to 1996, he worked at the Czech Embassy in Copenhagen, then from 1998 to 2002, he was engaged at the Czech Center in Stockholm. Between 2008 and 2013, he served as the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Denmark.
Since 2016, he has been the General Director of Czech Centers. In addition to his diplomatic career, Lička is a translator of Scandinavian and Anglo-American literature and the author of several books. In 1998, he won a creative award in the framework of the Josef Jungmann Award for his translation of “Greenlandic Myths” by Knud Rasmussen.
His media work includes dozens of articles on topics related to Nordic culture and diaspora, published in Czech, Danish, Greenlandic, Swedish, Polish, and American media.
Lička is an avid lover of winter and summer sports. In the winter, he practices cross-country skiing, and in the summer, he kayaks. He has participated in the Vasaloppet race in Sweden fourteen times, as well as in the Arctic Circle Race in Greenland in 2010. In 2011, he crossed the Greenland glacier on skis, and in 2020, he followed the trail of Czechoslovak legionaries across the frozen Lake Baikal.
From 2014 to 2023, he kayaked seven European rivers in a sea kayak: the Elbe, Danube, Oder, Rhône, Vistula, Seine, and Elbe. Since 2018, he has organized the Arctic Festival every year (www.arktickyfestival.cz).
