Kampa Island

The narrow Certovka stream separates Kampa Island from the rest of Mala Strana, creating a quiet wedge of land in the middle of the Vltava River. It began as a series of small, reclaimed garden plots, but in the sixteenth century, the construction of a canal turned it into a proper island. For generations, the hum of grinding grain defined the area. Three massive wooden waterwheels once powered local flour mills, and the rhythmic clacking of the gears echoed against the stone houses.