Kampa island in Prague. Kampa Island: main attractions and how to get there Unusual excursions around Kampa Island How to get there

We rested in this hotel with my husband from 12/18/09 to 12/27/09. We arrived early in the morning, around 8.00. We were checked in immediately, without any questions. I chose the hotel for a long time and painfully, but I still made a little mistake. The hotel is small, 4 floors, there is an elevator. The hotel is decorated quite uniquely, but needs renovation. First I asked for a smoking room - they showed me number 305 - quiet horror! A small scary cell, 2 beds and a wardrobe. The windows face the street, but... The street is very narrow, so the view from the window opens onto the 3rd destroyed floor of the house opposite. I categorically refused this room, and then they provided No. 310 - non-smoking (smoking in the lobby near the elevator). The room turned out to be large, about 25 meters. Quite antique furniture: a large bed, bedside tables, a table, an armchair, a desk, a minibar, a small color TV (no Russian channels), a wardrobe, a mirror with a cabinet at the front door, 2 windows. The floor is carpeted. The walls are shabby. The pillows are terrible (where did they get them?) - practically empty, in some places there is filling in the pillowcase, in some places there is not. I asked for 2 more, they gave me. Somehow they made something like pillows out of them. The bed was changed 2 times in 10 days. Towels were changed daily, They cleaned it well. The bathroom is built from the room, very small, about 1x1.5 m. You can hear everything that is going on with the neighbors. In the bathroom there is a shower, a washbasin, a small mirror nailed high, and a toilet. Additional supplies include only 2 shower caps and 4 cotton pads, liquid soap. That’s it! We’re talking about a 4* hotel! I didn’t ask for anything, I had everything of my own, but for 10 days no one offered me anything! Further: the staff is friendly, they don’t speak Russian, but they explained themselves normally, to each other understood. During the entire stay there was no negativity from the staff. Everyone was friendly and smiling. There is no PC or Internet in the hotel, when it became necessary to transfer photos to a flash drive, the reception staff transferred the photo from their PC. As for breakfast, everything was typical for Europe - I liked it . There were no Russian guests in the hotel. They have a very beautiful restaurant, but everyone is allowed into the restaurant after 11.00. The biggest minus is that although the hotel is located in Prague 1 - near the Charles Bridge - it is very far from everything else. The Malostranska metro station can be reached on foot through the park in about 15 minutes, or 3 tram stops. And then take the metro to Wenceslas Square. That is, it is not close to the main center, and transport is an additional cost. For example, to get to the center by tram and then by metro one way, you need to buy a “riding card” for 26 CZK for each person (about 50 rubles). But it's not so much about the money, but about the time you spend on the road. Especially when, tired after walking and excursions, you return to the hotel, the road seems very tiring. A taxi from the hotel to Wenceslas costs 420-460 CZK. Next time I will choose a hotel closer to the center. The hotel is really very quiet, even too quiet. There is own parking - 18 euros per night.

Regardless, I give the hotel a “5” because... it is really decorated in a very unusual way, not at all like modern hotels, it is clean, the staff is friendly and the food is also good. It’s just that, apparently, by my nature I need to choose something closer to the center, for example on Wenceslas Square. Which is what I intend to do next time.

Along the stairs located behind Tsvetaevsky’s beloved knight, you will find yourself on Kampa island- in a place of stunning beauty, rightly nicknamed “Prague Venice”. The buildings seem to stretch upward from the water, reflected in the mirror surface. Kampa Island is separated from Mala Strana by a tributary Vltava, a river with an unusual name Devil. There are different interpretations of this name.

One interpretation of the names says that during the reign of Rudolph the Second, when the waters of the river were clear and transparent, laundresses who settled in the surrounding area washed the king’s clothes here. One of the laundresses was very angry and quarrelsome. The woman often provoked quarrels among neighbors, fights and brawls. This is why they began to call her “Devil.” The washerwoman was so convinced of the correctness of her nickname that she began to consider herself connected with evil spirits, and asked the painter to decorate her house with the image of devils. The artist was supposed to draw seven devils, but he depicted only six; the seventh devil meant the mistress of the house herself. After the death of the quarrelsome woman, the river was named after her because its waters were not quiet and calm.

There is another version of the origin of the name. If you believe her, then the matter was not with the washerwoman, but with the miller's wife, who lived in House "At the Seven Devils" and communicated with dark forces. This option may be true, since several mills were previously located in this area. They were erected in the 12th century by the Juhanite monks of the Order of Johann of Jerusalem. The inhabitants of this monastery maintained the bridge in order, restored it and collected a tax for its use. In those days the bridge was called Yuditin.

It was these monks who dug a canal for their own use, which later became a tributary of the Vltava River. This past is told by a wheel as a remnant of a wheel designed during the Renaissance (late 16th century) and functioning until 1936. Next to the wheel are marks of the water level of the most significant floods. From the notes it becomes clear that the flood of 2002 was the most destructive.

As for the name of the island itself, it was invented either by the Spanish soldiers who were here after they defeated Czech soldiers at the White Mountain, or by Italian legionnaires. The island was inhabited in the 15th century and was dotted with vineyards and fruit plantations until the mid-16th century. After the great fire in 1541, when almost all of Prague was destroyed in the fire, everything that survived from the burnt houses was brought to the island.

The island was strengthened, the terrain was leveled, and after that the construction of houses began here. At the very beginning, the rich were wary of investing resources in the shaky project: what if the land disappeared under water? For this reason, the lands were sold to artisans, who created their own town with a market square that has survived to this day. Since the 17th century, fairs of pottery masters have been held on the square, attracting competition from all over the kingdom.

If you visit Kampa on a non-market day, no problem. Souvenirs and small gifts, handmade by a craftsman, can be purchased in any small store. Enthusiasts can watch the process of making souvenirs directly in a specially designated area behind the shop.

Modern Kampa is a rather elite and expensive place with a wonderful park that occupies most of the island, between two bridges - and. There are restaurants and cafeterias, hotels and snack bars here. There are also representative offices of different countries: Malta, France and Estonia. The attraction is Cathedral of the Virgin Mary under the chain, which belongs to the Order of Malta and its knights. The island is home to the elite: prose writers, poets, artists and composers.

Like the rest of Prague, Kampe is haunted. At night, near the mill, where the souls of the drowned gather, the miller’s daughter walks, peering into their faces; The spirit of water also lives here. This ghost is dressed in a wet green coat and a headdress entangled in seaweed. Most often it is noticed in pubs, namely in the “Golden Scissors”, where the music in the room is not so loud.

What other attractions await you here? (Vinarna Chertovka). It is so narrow that it is unlikely that two people can walk along it at the same time. In order not to get stuck with someone in a narrow passage, a traffic light is installed at the beginning and end of the street, signaling whether it is possible to move forward.

The balcony on the top floor of one of the buildings, nicknamed "Anna's House". The legend about it is associated with a massive flood that occurred in 1892, a century before the last one. Kampa was flooded to a critical level. The water was level with Anna's balcony.

The woman didn't know what to do. Suddenly she saw an icon with the face of the Blessed Virgin floating nearby. Hanging from the balcony, Anna pulled the icon out of the water and began to pray for salvation. Her prayer was so sincere that the heavens heard it and the flood calmed down.

Grateful for her salvation, Anna attached the icon above her balcony and placed a lamp next to it, which never went out. It still burns to this day. Only the oil in the lamp was replaced by an electric lamp.

Fans of the Beatles can visit (though it’s not exactly on Kampa Island). After the musician's death in 1980, his fans in Prague founded an unusual monument. An ordinary city wall was covered with couplets from the Beatles' repertoire, poems in honor of Lennon, and painted with his images. This caused discontent among the authorities. The wall was whitewashed and access to it was fenced off.

This peculiar action would not have continued if the French ambassador, who worked at the embassy located next to the notorious wall, had not intervened. A fan of John Lennon's talent, he came out in defense of the unusual monument and took patronage of the local landmark.

Near the museum you will see bright sculptures: , . But in Kampa Park you will find the famous ().

Hello friends! When traveling around the Czech Republic, don’t forget to check out Kampa Island in Prague. Even local residents admit that so many unusual and even strange events took place on the island that there were ghosts here. I get goosebumps when I imagine a night on Kampa. So you come across a whole army of penguins marching along the banks of the Vltava, and what to do?

Administrative district Prague 1. Historical district.

History of the island

The place was first mentioned in 1169.

Let's start with the fact that this island is artificial. No, let's start with the fact that the island is not so easy to see on the map - it is not located in the middle of the river and its coastline smoothly runs along the Vltava channel.

The Vltava had a small branch - the Strouga River. It still flows under the pillars of the Charles Bridge. The river made a loop and returned to the Vltava again. In the 12th century, the riverbed of the Strauga was changed - an artificial canal was dug, forcing the water to work in mills.

There is a version that the resulting artificial island became the residence of Prague millers.

Strange name

The island received its name back in 1770, but only by 1977 (!) did it become official.

An interesting fact: the Czechs retained the old names of the houses “At the White Peacock”, “At the Rooster”, “At the Black Madonna”, which gives modern Prague a special flavor, but for 207 years they did not recognize the name of the island in the historical center of the city.

And I wondered what was the reason for such “inconsistency” of the Czechs.

In ancient times, a military camp or garrison was located here. Have you also noticed that the name does not contain any combination of sounds characteristic of the Czech language? The name could sound like vojenský tábor (military camp), bezpečnost (security) or Prazska posádka (Prague garrison).

The sonorous word kampa is more reminiscent of the words “rotunda”, “caramba” or even “bullfight”. The word is . And the military that settled on the island were Spaniards. And translated from Spanish “campamento” (abbreviated as kampa) - camp.

All this takes us back to the brutal times of dividing the lands of Europe, the war of dynasties for power and influence, religious wars and the 30-year war, as a result of which 1/3 of the European population died of starvation. A war after which countries took more than 100 years to recover.

Participating in this war were: most of the Catholic principalities of Germany, Spain united with Portugal, the papal throne, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; France, Sweden, Denmark, the Protestant principalities of Germany, the Czech Republic, Transylvania, Venice, Savoy, the Republic of the United Provinces, England, Scotland, Russia and even the Ottoman Empire.

The first period of the 30 Years' War is called the Bohemian-Palatinate period and begins with the war in Bohemia, where the Protestant and Catholic Unions fight to the death. The Estates Uprising also dates back to the beginning of the war.

In 1620, a battle took place on the Vltava, near Prague. The battle took place near the national symbol of the Czech Republic - the White Mountain. The Protestants (which included the Czechs) were completely defeated, and the Czech Republic lost its independence for 300 long years.

I think the Czechs didn’t feel much love for the Spaniards. Hence the rejection of the name of the island - Kampa.

But at White Mountain, in memory of that battle, a historical reconstruction is now taking place, which you can go to and even take part in the battle. That's what it's called - .

Island

As I already said, one side of it is washed by the Vltava River, the other part is limited by an artificial canal with a rather strange name - Chertovka.

Naturally, Prague residents also have their own story about this.

I remember the brave soldier Schweik - he had a story for every word. Apparently they are like that... Czech storytellers.

So, on the island lived Aloysia Nemtseva, nicknamed the Devil - either a miller's wife, or a laundress, or an evil old maid, or a mischievous beautiful girl... And there were unkind rumors about her that Aloysia was consorting with evil spirits and her word causes damage.

But all these are rumors; it is based on the real story of a girl, which I will return to a little later, because everything could be simpler and the girl has nothing to do with the name: she lived like that and lived. But the millers... everyone knows that the devil is in their friendship. And since there were many mills on the island, this place is unclean, and the river where the devils live is Chertovka.

Now there are 5 mills and 2 wheels preserved on the island. One ancient wheel is still functional and is served by a pleasure river bus.

If you look closely, you will notice a devil sitting on one of the blades of the mill wheel.

It’s impossible to take a boat ride around the island - the wheel gets in the way, but if you take a boat, we saw them, then I think it’s possible.

Next to the wheel of the oldest mill is the Lovers' Bridge. The bridge railings are covered with padlocks, which lovers use to “lock” their love.

Lovers, attention! - information for you:

If a couple in love kisses deeply on this bridge, then their wedding will take place no later than in a year.

One of our friends swears that she checked it from personal experience, and this is the pure truth 😉

Development

The first thing that attracts tourists here is the picturesque view, the English park, small houses and cozy cafes.

For a long time, the townspeople did not build houses on the island, fearing flooding.

In the 15th century, the archbishop bought the island and the landscaping began: parks and orchards were laid out. One of them is still alive and is located in the southern part of the island.

In the 17th century, artisans lived on the island, and pottery and trade flourished. Fairs were also held here.

Over time, the island became suitable for construction. Houses, mansions and palaces appeared on it.

The real story of the house "At the Seven Devils"

Now I will tell the story of Aloisia Nemtseva.

She was not a miller or a laundress, but the daughter of a Prague lawyer. Born in 1821. And when the time came to get married, she got into trouble: the groom ran away from the wedding with her best friend. Since then, the girl lived alone and did not get married.

After her father's death, she moved to the White Horse House on Kampa Island. This was the name of the two-story palace in the Baroque style. This house was bought from the noble Strakov family by Aloise's father.

The woman lived in rooms on the second floor and rented out the rest. Over the years, she completely stopped leaving the house, and the residents complained about Nemtseva’s strange demands, which had to be strictly observed: no furniture, including cabinets, tables and chairs, should be moved to the walls and the walls should not be touched.

As I understand it, there was no need to even ask about shelves and pictures.

There were fewer residents. The lonely woman’s character apparently really was not accommodating. One day she kicked out an artist who was renting a corner of the house. In response, he drew a devil on each of the 6 columns of the house and made the inscription: “The house of the 7 devils,” implying that the 7 devil is Aloise herself. Rumors spread that she was communicating with the devil.

The woman died at 74 years old. After her death in 1895, the house, according to the will of the owner, became the property of the hospital of the Order of the Gray Sisters.

And one day, during the renovation of the house, the strange demands of the housewife became clear. The walls and ceiling were double. When they were demolished, the builders were presented with beautiful frescoes by the Swiss artist Jan Rudolf Bisse.

In 1710, the former owner, art lover Jan Peter Strack, ordered them for his house.

Aloisa Nemtseva preserved the beautiful wall paintings and the devil has nothing to do with it.

Now the house “At the Seven Devils” has a completely different name: the Strakov Palace from Nedabylitsy. It is located on Maltese Square. From Charles Bridge it is a few minutes walk. The address of the house is Maltézské náměstí 476/14.

Mystical Campa

There is another famous house on Kampa Island - Anna's House.

The story is connected with the terrible sweat of 1892. Imagine how high the water was if a woman named Anna saw the icon of the Mother of God floating along the canal and managed to grab it from her balcony.

Anna began to fervently pray for the salvation of the city. From that day on, the water began to recede and the city was saved.

The icon is located on the balcony of the house, with a lamp always burning in front of it.

The legend says that if you come here at night, you can hear a quiet whisper from the balcony - it is Anna who continues to pray to the Mother of God for help to those who are in danger.

Would you dare to walk around the island at night? Yes, it is quiet and beautiful here, but Anna is not the only Prague ghost who haunts here. For some reason, many ghosts have chosen Kampa.

On a moonlit night, all the drowned people of the Vltava come to the wheel of the old mill.

The oldest ghost in the Czech Republic can be found near the house “At the Blue Fox”. Sometimes he suddenly hesitates for a second or two before entering. Then passers-by see his shabby camisole and the saddest look in the world.

Modern landmarks

Even at dusk, an unprepared tourist can be scared if he stumbles upon Huge crawling babies.

• 3 faceless sculptures belong to the famous modern sculptor David Cherny. “Pissing men” in the yard is probably his most scandalous creation. The rotating giant head of F. Kafka on one of the squares in Prague is also his work. Other Sculptures of D. Black are located in Prague museums and on the famous.
• It's not just the ghosts of the old town that hang around Chertovka. At night, you can see a line of glowing yellow penguins wandering towards the island. Where did they come from? They are an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art.

And they don’t want to scare us, but to draw attention to global environmental problems.

• Located on the island. This is the famous Museum of Modern Art. His exposition is extraordinary, bright, and can sometimes confuse you with its frankness.
• Another attraction of modern Kampa is the John Lennon Wall. When Lennon died, fans came here to write a passage from their favorite song or simply draw something.

• At first, the graffiti was painted over, but at the request of the French Ambassador (a big fan of The Beatles), it was made a Prague memorial.
• Among the island's attractions is the narrowest street in Prague.

To be precise, this is a passage between houses, but only one person can pass through. To avoid awkward situations, there are traffic lights on both sides of the “street”.

Romance on the Island

Houses descending to the canal, steps, boats, a river bus, balconies and terraces hanging over the water, and a cafe in them - all this creates a romantic atmosphere on the island.

People call it “Prague Venice”. The island doesn't look a bit like Venice. It is beautiful, green and very attractive in its own way. Here you can relax on benches or lie on the grass with a guidebook in your hands, go to a museum or sit in a cafe.

This romantic place attracts lovers, but we want to warn you: the prices here are high. Both in cafes and restaurants.

There are many hotels and their prices are also high, but despite this, book a room you need it in advance - it may not be enough.

Unusual excursions on Kampa Island

How to get there

• By tram:
  Nos. 12, 20, 22, 57 to the Hellichova stop.
• On foot
  Go down the stairs of the Charles Bridge next to the bridge towers of the Mala Storona district and you are already on the island.

Address: Kampa, Praha 1

Island on the map

Thank you for your attention! I hope we will meet again in Prague, but in the meantime, read our news and updates.

Kampa Island (photo).

Kampa Island, Prague,

located in the very center of historical places. On one side this island is washed by the Vltava River, on the other by Chertovka. Despite the fact that there are always a lot of tourists around the island, the island itself is always deserted. Even during the day, having descended from the Charles Bridge onto the camp, breaking away from the flow of people, you find yourself in an almost deserted place.

In the photo - the descent to Kampa from Charles Bridge . I've always liked this island. I do not know why.

You can also get to Kampa from the Bridge of Legions, which is on the opposite side of the island. You can also go to Kampa through a small bridge from the Maltese Square. The railings of this bridge are decorated with a large number of closed locks. Near this bridge there is a mill wheel.

On the part of Kampa Island, which is closer to the Charles Bridge, there are houses, several hotels, and restaurants. It's fabulously beautiful there.

By the way, on Kampa there is a restaurant where Putin drank beer with the President of the Czech Republic. The restaurant where Putin drank beer in Prague is called "At Charles Bridge" address Na kampe 15. Putin drank beer in the restaurant, ate sausages, shook hands with everyone and left an autograph.

If you have children with you, then this is a must.

If you wish, go boating.

On the other side Kampa Islands - Chertovka river very picturesque. The banks of the river are the walls of houses.

This place is also called the Venice of Prague, but Venice is very small.

There are several restaurants whose verandas go directly to the river.

On Kampe there are several museums and restaurants. We will dwell on one of the restaurants in detail. This is a fish restaurant. We like it for its interiors, quite passable cuisine, if you make allowances for a tourist place - not bad. Acceptable prices. You can read more Here...

Not long ago Kampa Island appeared David Černý's babies from the Žižkova television tower.

I don’t know where they got them from, maybe they are spares? In an article about

Kampa Island is an oasis of calm amid the bustle of the city. Walk along its romantic streets, relax in a cozy park, visit the Museum of Modern Art or pass a note to John Lennon, take the most original photo of the day.

One of the most memorable romantic corners of Prague is the island of Kampa. This is an “urban” island - it is located in the historical center of the capital - on (Malá Strana).

The picturesque island, which is called the “Venice of Prague”, is located at the confluence Vltava and the Certovka Canal. You can get to Kampa by stairs from (Karlův most), by (Most Legií) and by a small bridge from the side (Maltézské náměstí).

How the island appeared

The name "Campa", according to historians, originated in the 12th century. It was finally assigned to the island in 1770, and was officially legalized in 1977. There are several versions of its origin. Many believe that it comes from those ancient times when Spanish soldiers camped on the island (this was after the memorable events on White Mountain). The word "campa" in Spanish means "camp".

The devil was originally called Strouga. The artificial Stroug Canal, 740 m long, was created in the 12th century - it ensured the operation of several mills. The channel of the Chertovka formed a loop around the Kampa: it branched off from the Vltava as a branch, and then flowed into it again. Since the canal for the operation of the mills was laid artificially, the island turned out to be the same - artificial.

In the 15th century Beautiful gardens were laid out on Kampa - the island land then belonged to the Prague archbishops, and their residence was nearby. Since that time, only one garden has survived in the southern part of Kampa. In the 16th century, many feared the island would be completely flooded. Wealthy people did not want to settle in the “risk zone,” so the land was given to artisans for a long time to hold fairs.

The channel changed its name several times - it was renamed in honor of the new owners. For some time it was called Rosenberg - in honor of the then owner of the surrounding lands - Vilém Rosenberg.

Devil

The name of the river, Chertovka, came into use from urban folklore. Once upon a time, women from surrounding houses came to this small river to wash clothes. They say that among them was Aloisia Nemtsova, a gloomy old maid with an evil tongue and a bad character. Those around her did not like her and were afraid of her. The house where Aloysia lived was called “The House of the Seven Devils,” and the owner was nicknamed the Devil. They also began to call the river where she came with laundry.

Mrs. Aloisia, indeed, lived in house No. 476. The “diabolical” nickname for her house was given by the artist to whom Nemtsova rented out a room, after one mystical story connected with this dwelling.

There were three ancient water mills on Chertovka. One of them was built by the Knights of the Order of Malta at the end of the 13th century. The mills have not been completely preserved to this day - only the wheels remain from two of them. One wheel, which previously belonged to the Velkoprzevorskaya mill, stands near the bridge, laid not far from Malti Square. Sitting near the wheel. This bridge is loved by newlyweds and romantic couples – they hang locks on its bars “for good luck”.

John Lennon Wall

The theme of love “sounds” in one of the main attractions of Kampa. “Make love, not war...” The John Lennon Wall appeared on the island shortly after the death of the legendary composer, musician and pacifist. People come to a memorable place, leave wishes of love on the wall, requests to make the world a better place, and write excerpts from Beatles songs. This wall encloses the former palace. At first they tried to paint over the inscriptions and drawings, however, at the urgent request of the French ambassador - a fan of The Beatle and Lennon - the wall was made a memorial and the inscriptions were “legalized”.

Many famous people lived on Kampa at different times. In their honor, monuments and statues were erected on the island. Not so long ago, David Cherny also appeared here - figures similar to the crawling “negros” on (Žižkovský vysílač).

Kampa has famous landmarks. “Anna's House” is famous for its balcony, thanks to which in 1892 the whole of Prague avoided complete flooding. Legend has it that the owner of the house, who was saving herself on the balcony, managed to catch the icon of the Mother of God floating by. Anna (that was the woman’s name) began to fervently pray for the salvation of the city, and the water receded. Since then, a memorial lamp above the miraculous image has always been burning on Anna’s balcony (although over the years the lamp has been replaced with an electric lamp).

Another famous object of Kampa is with a pedestrian traffic light. A unique traffic light, intended only for passers-by, was hung above the alley because two people in it could not pass each other.

Liechtenstein Palace

On the banks of the Vltava there is a beautiful (Lichtenstejnsky palace) in a neo-Renaissance style; There are many expensive hotels and old mansions on the island. Many tourists gather around Kampa, but the island itself is always quiet, although not crowded.

Kampa Museum

By the river next to the museum you will see colorful penguin figurines made from recycled plastic bottles and a “Chair”. At night, the formation of yellow penguins is beautifully illuminated.