Kampa Island

Most visitors cross Charles Bridge without realizing there's an island directly beneath them. Kampa Island is separated from Mala Strana by a narrow channel called the Certovka — the Devil's Stream — supposedly named after a temperamental washerwoman who lived nearby. The channel powered water mills for centuries, and the last surviving mill wheel still turns lazily in the current, making it one of Prague's most photographed spots.

The island has two distinct personalities. The northern half, closest to Charles Bridge, is a tangle of narrow lanes, old houses, and the Lennon Wall's backyard. The southern half opens into a sweeping park along the riverbank — one of the most romantic green spaces in the city, with views across the Vltava to the Old Town. On warm evenings, Praguers spread blankets on the grass and watch the sun set behind the castle.

The Kampa Museum of Modern Art, housed in a renovated waterfront mill, holds an excellent collection of Central European art from the 20th century, including works by Czech sculptor Otto Gutfreund and Slovak painter Ludovit Fulla. Outside, David Cerny's three giant bronze babies crawl across the grass — 800 kilograms each, with barcode faces — siblings of the ones climbing the Zizkov Tower.

Kampa floods. Badly. The devastating 2002 flood submerged most of the island and caused massive damage. High-water marks on buildings throughout the area show just how deep the water rose. But the island recovered, the museum reopened, and Kampa continues to be Prague's quiet escape — a place where the noise of the tourist crowds fades to a murmur and the only sounds are the river and the creaking mill wheel.