1. Geographical Location and Maritime Access
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country located in Central Europe, without direct access to the sea. Due to its geographical position, it does not have a maritime coastline, which means traditional ocean maritime transport is not possible from its territory. However, the Czech Republic makes extensive use of its waterways for transport and trade. Major rivers such as the Vltava and the Elbe provide important links to seaports located in neighboring countries like Germany, notably the port of Hamburg on the North Sea. These waterways enable the country to actively participate in maritime trade through indirect means and facilitate the movement of goods to and from international destinations.
The inland water transport infrastructure is well developed with a network of canals, modernized river ports, and freight terminals. These infrastructures are crucial for the country's economic development as they facilitate multimodal transfer between river users and European seaports, thus ensuring a continuous flow of goods essential to the Czech economy.