Kampa Island and the Lennon Wall

Kampa is the gentlest corner of central Prague, and the perfect antidote to the crowds on Charles Bridge above it. The island is separated from Malá Strana by Čertovka, the Devil's Stream, a narrow millrace lined with old houses and a couple of surviving water wheels, which is why VisitCzechia calls Kampa Prague's answer to Venice. You reach it by stairs from the Malá Strana end of Charles Bridge or by the lanes at its southern end. At the northern tip, the small square of Na Kampě has cafes and old houses; to the south, Kampa Park is a broad, tree-shaded lawn running along the river, with benches, chestnut trees and views across the Vltava to the National Theatre and the Old Town embankment. It is where Praguers come to read, picnic, play with their children and walk their dogs. The Museum Kampa, in a former mill on the riverbank, shows modern Central European art and is surrounded by outdoor sculptures, including David Černý's giant crawling babies. A few minutes away, on Velkopřevorské square beside the French embassy, is the Lennon Wall. Once a place for love notes, after John Lennon's death in 1980 it became a canvas for messages of peace and freedom, which the Communist authorities repeatedly painted over and which kept coming back. Today it is a constantly changing layer of murals, slogans and tags, a symbol of free expression and a magnet for photos. The wall belongs to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, whose Grand Priory stands on the same square. Everything here is free and open at all times.

Doing it well: come early in the morning for the Lennon Wall, when you can see it without a crowd of selfie-takers, then cross the little bridge over Čertovka, where padlocks hang from the railings, and wander down into Kampa Park for a coffee. In the afternoon the park is livelier, with families and students on the grass. The wall is not a museum piece: it changes constantly, and rules about adding to it have been tightened at times after vandalism, so check signs on the spot and never paint on the surrounding historic buildings. Museum Kampa charges admission, but its sculptures outside are free to see.

Seasons: Kampa is beautiful in every season. In spring the chestnuts blossom, in summer the park is a shady escape, in autumn the leaves turn gold, and in winter the riverbank is quiet and atmospheric, sometimes under snow. In the evening, the view from the island's riverbank of Charles Bridge and the Old Town lit up is one of the classic Prague scenes, so return after dinner if you can. Boats on the Čertovka offer short trips past the mill wheels in the warmer months.

Fitting it in: Kampa is a five-minute detour from the Malá Strana end of Charles Bridge, so it slots into any walk between the Old Town and the castle. Combine it with St Nicholas Church and the lanes of Malá Strana, or with a walk south along the river to the Petřín funicular station at Újezd. Restaurants on the island trade on the view and price accordingly; the side streets of Malá Strana offer better value. For a picnic, pick up supplies in Malá Strana before you cross onto the island, find a bench under the chestnut trees and enjoy one of the best free lunches with a view in the city.