Jordánský waterfall

Jordánský waterfall is an artificial waterfall in Tábor, Czech Republic, formed at the foot of the Jordán reservoir dam. Although it isn't a natural feature, it counts among the town's most distinctive sights, pairing centuries of local water-management history with a genuinely dramatic cascade.

Why does an artificial waterfall exist here?

The waterfall was built in 1693 as part of a flood-relief system for the Jordán reservoir. Its purpose was to safely release excess water at the right end of the dam, away from the town's built-up area, protecting Tábor's historic center from flooding. Water leaves the reservoir via the Tismenický stream and, after a few hundred meters, reaches a rocky threshold where it drops in a cascade.

What does the waterfall look like?

The structure is around 18 meters high and consists of three steps, with the lower sections together accounting for roughly 12 meters of that drop. At full flow, the water falls in a wide, fan-shaped curtain spreading 6–8 meters at the base; at lower water levels it splits into several separate streams running down the rock ledges. The rock the water flows over is syenite, a local stone type colloquially known as "granite bluestone." A vertical rock pillar on the left side of the cascade is one of its most recognizable features.

What's the story behind the Jordán reservoir?

The waterfall wouldn't exist without the Jordán reservoir, created in 1492 by damming the Košínský stream. It is the oldest dam-built reservoir in the Czech Republic, and by some accounts one of the oldest in Europe. It originally supplied drinking water to Tábor's residents and later was also used for fish farming. The dam itself is about 20 meters high and 284 meters long, and the reservoir holds around 3 million cubic meters of water across more than 51 hectares.

How to get there and when to see it flowing?

The waterfall sits within the town of Tábor, roughly a kilometer from the historic Bechyně Gate, making it an easy walk from the old town for anyone already exploring the center. It's worth knowing, though, that following repairs to the dam, the lower outlet is now used mainly to periodically lower the reservoir's water level — so the waterfall doesn't flow at full strength year-round, only occasionally. The best chance of seeing it in full flow is after heavy rain or snowmelt, when the reservoir level rises and water needs to be released.

Frequently asked questions

Is Jordánský waterfall a natural feature? No — it's an artificial structure built in 1693 as part of the Jordán reservoir's flood-control system, though its scale and appearance make an impression similar to a natural cascade.

How tall is the waterfall? It's about 18 meters high, arranged in three steps, with the lower sections together making up roughly 12 meters of that height.

Is the waterfall always flowing? Not always — since the dam's repairs, the lower outlet is mainly used to periodically lower the reservoir's water level, so a full flow only appears under certain hydrological conditions.

What else is worth seeing nearby? The Jordán reservoir itself, the oldest dam-built reservoir in the Czech Republic dating to 1492, along with the nearby historic Bechyně Gate and Tábor's old town.