Kampa Island

History

Kampa's first mention in writing goes back to 1169, but for centuries it wasn't really an island at all - just a low-lying area on the edge of Malá Strana, separated from the mainland by the Čertovka, a narrow millstream that branches off the Vltava. The channel was dug by the Knights of Malta in the 12th century to power the mills they'd built along the bank. Over time, debris from floods and building work gradually built up the land, and what was once a marshy floodplain became something more substantial.

For a long time the island was home to potters, millers and laundresses - working trades that needed the water. Pottery markets were held here from at least the turn of the 16th century, and the area had nine mills at its peak, of which three survive. After the mills declined, the island gradually attracted a different kind of resident. Writers, artists and intellectuals moved into the old houses - Jiří Trnka, the animator, lived here; so did the playwright Jiří Voskovec and the poet Vladimír Holan. Jan Werich, the actor and co-founder of the interwar Liberated Theatre, had an apartment in what's now called Werich Villa from 1946 until his death in 1980.

The 2002 floods hit the island hard - the water level markers on the wall near the Na Kampě square tell the story plainly. The lower mark is from 1890; the one above it, well above head height, is from 2002. The island was restored, and Museum Kampa - which had been due to open in September 2002 but was badly damaged before it could - finally opened a year late, in September 2003.

What's Here

The island splits fairly naturally into two parts. The northern end, around the Na Kampě square just below Charles Bridge, is the busier part - there's a small market square, cafés, and the bottom of the steps coming off the bridge. The southern part is Kampa Park itself, a long strip of grass running along the Vltava with good views across to the Old Town embankment. It's one of the better spots in central Prague for just sitting on the ground and not doing anything in particular.

The Grand Priory Mill (Velkopřevorský mlýn) is the most visible historic feature - its large wooden water wheel, dating to the 15th century, still turns, though it's doing so for show these days rather than grinding anything. The mill building itself operated until 1936.

Museum Kampa occupies the former Sova Mills on the eastern bank, a 15th-century mill complex that was converted into a gallery for the collection of Czech-American art patron Meda Mládková. The core of the collection is works by František Kupka - one of the pioneers of abstract art, significantly underappreciated outside Central Europe - and the Czech Cubist sculptor Otto Gutfreund, alongside other 20th-century work from Eastern bloc artists whose careers were largely suppressed under communism. The building itself is worth a look: old mill structure combined with glass and steel additions, including a glass cube installed by helicopter that conservationists objected to but the Ministry of Culture approved anyway.

Outside the museum, on the riverbank, are David Černý's Babies (Miminka) - eight large bronze crawling figures, each about 2.6 metres tall, with barcodes where their faces should be. They're hard to miss and pretty unsettling up close, which is fairly typical of Černý's work.

The Čertovka canal - the narrow waterway that defines the island's western edge - is sometimes called Prague's Little Venice, a comparison that flatters it somewhat but isn't entirely unfair. The canal passes under Charles Bridge at its narrowest point, alongside old mill buildings and the backs of Malá Strana houses. Short boat trips run along it from under the bridge.

Ticket Prices

The island itself, the park and the streets are all free and open at all times. Museum Kampa charges separately:

• Museum Kampa adults: approx. 300 CZK
• Reduced (students, seniors): approx. 180 CZK
• Children under 6: free
• Čertovka boat trips: approx. 450–550 CZK for a 45-minute cruise, departing from under Charles Bridge

Museum Kampa is open daily, usually 10 AM to 6 PM, though it's worth checking current hours before visiting as these have changed before.

How to Get There

1. From Charles Bridge: The easiest approach - take the steps down from the bridge on the Malá Strana side, just before the Lesser Town Bridge Tower. You land directly on the Na Kampě square at the north end of the island. 2 minutes.
2. From Malostranské náměstí: Walk south from the main Malá Strana square toward the river - it's about 5 minutes along Říční or through the side streets.
3. By metro: Malostranská (Line A, green) is the closest station, about 10 minutes on foot heading south along the embankment.
4. By tram: Lines 12, 15, 20 and 22 stop at Malostranské náměstí. From there follow the signs toward the river and Charles Bridge.

Tips for Tourists

1. Come early or late. The Na Kampě square and the Charles Bridge steps get very busy during the day - the island itself is quieter, but the approach from the bridge can feel like queuing. Early morning the whole area is close to empty and the light on the river is good.
2. Look at the flood markers. On the north wall of the square, near the steps up to Charles Bridge, there's a small plaque marking the flood level of September 1890. Directly above it - well above head height - is the mark for August 2002. It's a more effective piece of historical communication than most plaques.
3. Don't skip the museum. Museum Kampa is genuinely good and consistently underrated relative to how famous the island is. František Kupka in particular deserves to be better known than he is - his early abstract work predates Kandinsky's by some accounts, and there's a solid collection of it here.
4. Walk the full length of the park. Most visitors cluster around the northern end near the bridge. The southern park stretches quite a way along the river, gets progressively quieter, and the views across to the Old Town from the southern tip are among the less-photographed but better ones in the city.
5. The Čertovka is worth seeing from the water. The short canal boat trips departing from under Charles Bridge take you along the Čertovka and give you a view of the back of the island - old mill buildings, overhanging houses, the underside of the bridge - that you can't get on foot.
6. The Mission: Impossible connection. Several scenes from the 1996 film were shot on Kampa Island. Knowing this doesn't necessarily improve the experience, but it's a decent pub quiz answer.

What's Nearby

• Prague's Little Venice - the stretch of Čertovka canal running along the western edge of the island, with old mill buildings, narrow water lanes and short boat trips departing from under Charles Bridge.
• Charles Bridge - directly above the northern tip of the island. The steps down from the bridge land you on Na Kampě square - the most natural way to arrive from the Old Town side.
• John Lennon Wall - a 5-minute walk north through Malá Strana, on Velkopřevorské náměstí. A permanently evolving surface of graffiti, messages and portraits that started appearing here after Lennon's death in 1980 as a quiet act of dissent under communism.
• Wallenstein Garden - about 10 minutes north, behind the Wallenstein Palace in Malá Strana. One of the earliest Baroque gardens in Bohemia, with peacocks, a grotto and an outdoor theatre stage.
• Prague Castle - visible from the island's riverbank, about 20–25 minutes on foot uphill through Malá Strana. The largest ancient castle complex in the world by area.
• Petřín Hill - 15–20 minutes on foot west from the island. The hill above Malá Strana with a lookout tower, orchards and good views back over the city rooftops.
• Legion Bridge - the nearest bridge to the south, a few minutes along the embankment. A neo-Baroque and Art Nouveau structure from 1901, with two toll-gate towers still standing.
• Shooters Island (Střelecký ostrov) - the next island downstream, accessible from Legion Bridge. Quieter than Kampa, with a small park and river views.