The Svitava () is a river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Svratka River. It flows through the Pardubice and South Moravian regions. It is long.
Etymology
The river's name referred to its clear water and was derived from svítat, which meant '[be] clear' in Old Czech. The river is first documented in 1125 in Chronica Boemorum.
Characteristic
thumb|Confluence of the Svitava (right) and Svratka
The Svitava originates in the territory of Svitavy in the Svitavy Uplands at an elevation of and flows to Brno, where it enters the Svratka River at an elevation of . It is long. Its drainage basin has an area of .
The longest tributaries of the Svitava are:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Tributary !! Length (km) !! River km !! Side
|-
| Křetínka || 31.4 || 66.4 || right
|-
| Punkva || 26.4 || 32.9 || left
|-
| Bělá || 21.4 || 49.5 || left
|-
| Semíč || 17.9 || 55.2 || left
|-
| Býkovka || 16.1 || 40.6 || right
|-
| Úmoří || 16.0 || 51.2 || right
|-
| Křtinský potok || 15.5 || 24.7 || left
|-
| Vendolský potok || 8.9 || 88.1 || right
|-
| Radiměřský potok || 8.9 || 82.3 || right
|}
Course
thumb|Counfluence of the Svitava (right) and Křetínka in [[Letovice]]
The river valley is densely populated and there are many relatively notable settlements on the river. Apart from the city of Brno, the most significant towns on the river are Svitavy, named after the river, and Blansko.
Tourism
The Svitava is suitable for river tourism. The river is navigable all year round, but there are many weirs on it. The most popular section for paddlers is between Letovice and Blansko.