KAMPA

Description

Essentials about Kampa in brief

If you want to get to know one of the most beautiful urban islands in the world, which also offers fantastic views of the city center of Prague, you should definitely take a walk on Kampa. Kampa is an island of about 2.7 hectares in the Vltava River right in the heart of the Czech capital. To the east of the island flows the Vltava River; to the west, Kampa is bordered by the artificial side channel Čertovka (Devil’s Brook), which separates the island from Prague’s Malá Strana.

The history of Kampa

The first written mention of Kampa dates back to 1169. Kampa was created as an artificial island by the construction of the Čertovka, which was used as a mill stream for many centuries. Two wooden mills still exist today. The large mill wheel of the former Grand Prior Mill probably dates back to 1400.

After the Kampa had been a large garden area for a long time, construction began after the Prague Castle fire in 1541. Rubble of destroyed buildings served as building material, which was piled up on the island. Initially, the island was inhabited by people of the lower class, but from the 17th century noblemen began to settle there. Therefore, the main square of Kampa is still adorned by some beautiful former noble residences.

The areas of Kampa

Kampa is divided into two distinct areas. The southern part of the island is Kampa Park, which also houses the Kampa Museum of Modern Art in a former mill building. The northern part of the island, on the other hand, is built-up. The houses are located directly on the Čertovka River, which is why the island is often referred to as “Prague’s Venice” due to its picturesque appearance on the water. Kampa can be reached via five brick bridges. One of the stairs also leads directly from the island to Charles Bridge.