Metuje Broumovsko

originally named Medhuje

(German: Mettau) is a river in the Czech Republic in north-eastern Bohemia, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It is 77.2 km long. Its basin area is 607.6 km², a small part of which enters Poland, in the so-called "Czech Corner” in western Kłodzko. The name Metuje (originally named Medhuje – the form Metuje was a dialect pronunciation) has Proto-European origins (in contrast to the folk etymology "med tu je”, or "honey is here” in English); at the base is an Indo-European root *medh- "middle” (i.e. the middle river between Úpa and Orlice) – cf. lat. "medius” and the Lithuanian river name Meduja. The first document of the name dates back to the 12th century (1186 super Methugiam).

Metuje Spring

The river rises at an altitude around 630 m in the Broumov Highlands near Hodkovice, west of the Adršpach Rocks. The upper and middle course of the river has cuts deep ravines (Peklo Nature Reserve). Teplice nad Metují, Hronov, Náchod and Nové Město nad Metují are the most important municipalities situated on the river. The mouth of the Metuje is in Jaroměř, at an altitude 248 m, at the northernmost foreland of Pardubice basin; the Elbe then takes its waters to the North Sea.

Broumovsko Landscape Park

The entire upper course of the Metuje, from the spring to Hronov, flows through the Broumovsko Landscape Park, taking its first tributaries from the rock city and National Nature Reserve Adršpach-Teplice Rocks. In its central section, the deep valley of the Metuje creates a substantial part of the Peklo Nature Reserve near Nové Město nad Metují. The Metuje is classified as a trout stream, up from the stretch at Peklo to the springs. Running along the valley floor, very close to the confluence with the Elbe near Josefov, is the natural monument of the Stará Metuje (Old Mettau), the older branch of the river, copying the meandering course of its younger sister with same name. A private bird park – Josefovské louky (Josefov Meadows) – lies between both branches of the river.

Mills and Hydroplants nearby

Small hydropower plants on the Metuje River