Svratka (river)
The Svratka is a river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Thaya River. It flows through the Vysočina and South Moravian regions, including the city of Brno. It is long, making it the 9th longest river in the Czech Republic.
Etymology
According to one theory, the name originates from the Proto-Slavic verb vort, which meant "to return". It denoted "a returning river". Another theory is that the name was derived from the Germanic Swarta, which meant "black water". Sometimes the river was colloquially referred to as Švarcava or Švorcava.Characteristic
The Svratka originates in the territory of Cikháj in the Upper Svratka Highlands at an elevation of and flows to the Nové Mlýny reservoirs, where it enters the Thaya River in Dolní Věstonice at an elevation of. It is long, making it the 9th longest river in the Czech Republic. Its drainage basin has an area of.The longest tributaries of the Svratka are:
| Tributary | Length | River km | Side |
| Jihlava | 180.8 | 0.1 | right |
| Svitava | 98.4 | 40.7 | left |
| Bobrůvka | 62.6 | 78.9 | right |
| Litava | 58.6 | 29.0 | left |
| Bobrava | 37.6 | 36.8 | right |
| Bílý potok | 36.0 | 67.0 | right |
| Šatava | 32.0 | 9.9 | right |
| Nedvědička | 30.2 | 89.1 | right |
| Bystřice | 26.2 | 113.5 | right |
| Hodonínka | 24.4 | 103.0 | left |
| Lubě | 24.1 | 73.7 | left |
| Fryšávka | 23.8 | 125.5 | right |
Settlements
The most notable settlement on the Svratka is the city of Brno, where the Svitava flows into the river. The river flows past the following municipalities: Cikháj, Herálec, Svratka, Křižánky, Březiny, Krásné, Spělkov, Telecí, Borovnice, Jimramov, Strachujov, Unčín, Dalečín, Chlum-Korouhvice, Vír, Koroužné, Štěpánov nad Svratkou, Ujčov, Nedvědice, Černvír, Doubravník, Borač, Štěpánovice, Tišnov, Veverská Bítýška, Brno, Modřice, Rajhrad, Židlochovice, Nosislav, Velké Němčice, Vranovice, Pouzdřany, Ivaň and Dolní Věstonice.In the section from Březiny to Borovnice, the river forms the border between the Vysočina and Pardubice regions. In the section from Herálec to Jimramov, the river also forms the border between the historical lands of Bohemia and Moravia.