German authorities evacuated thousands of people near Dresden's historic centre today as floodwaters in the Elbe River reached an all-time high, also spilling into a square close to some of the city's cultural landmarks.

Czechs snaked along police barriers and crowded on to riverfront lookout points to watch the waters of the muddy Vltava River recede after some of Europe's most deadly flooding in decades.

Firefighters and volunteers fought back river waters today as unprecedented flooding threatened Prague's historic Old Town and killed at least 95 people across Europe.

Police in Prague are allowing tourists back into the historic square as the threat from flooding appears to have eased.

Police cordoned off Prague’s Old Town today and ordered residents to evacuate as emergency workers tried to save the historic district.

Czech police have evacuated the Old Town of Prague due to the fears of flooding.