Bata Canal – the resurrection of a dream

The idea of regulating the Morava River was revived around 1927, attracted the attention of the great industrialist Tomáš Bat’a. After his tragic death five years later, Jan Antonín Baťa took up this bold plan. The regulation of the Morava’s flow and the construction of the canal had several meanings for Bata. In addition to the realisation of the old dream of linking the European highways, it involved the transport of lignite from the mine in Ratíškovice to the factories and heating plants in Otrokovice, which was financially disadvantageous by rail, and the construction of a land reclamation system in the vicinity of the Morava River.