Relaxing in the Park on Strelecky Ostrov Island

Strelecky Ostrov Island is a small island directly in the middle of the river separating the East and West side of Prague. It is accessible by the Legion Bridge and is honestly, one of my favorite parks in the city!

Crossing the bridge to reach the island on the left.

Apparently the island used to serve as a shooting range:

As early as under Charles IV, Prague longbow and crossbow shooters had the privilege of training here. From the 15th century, the island held competitions in shooting. During the Thirty Years War the island ran wild, but later, in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was used not only for the shooters, but also for folk festivals, celebrations and carnivals. In 1812, after the fire of the old wooden shooting range, Prague shooters built a new brick building with a restaurant according to the plans of the court architect Josef Kliment Zobel. It was a single-storey Empire style building No. 336. Thanks to its basement it survived even a great flood in 1890. In the years between 1935 and 1937 the building was extended by a terrace with a café designed by architect Jan Zázvorka. Both the building and the island used to be a place for busy social life: promenade concerts, dance parties, dancing balls and performances of variety and cabaret artists. In addition, a cinema auditorium was built on the first floor. In the 60s of the 20th century the building was adjusted for the use of the Start Prague, an association for physical education.

– Prague Welcome website

After walking around the park, I found a small flight of stairs that led directly into the water. I decided to sit there and feed some of the passing ducks and pigeons while watching people on paddle boats go by.

View across the river

You can see the Opera House in the brown building to the center-right.

The Charles Bridge from the island

We easily spent an hour or two just sitting and staring at the water. I imagine when I turn old and grey, I would be one of those ladies who just brings a chair, a loaf of bread, and spend the afternoon napping and feeding the ducks. Sounds like a wonderful life!

Walking Along the Riverbank in Prague

Since Annalisa and I took the metro to Vysehrad, we decided to take a scenic walk along the river back to Old Town Square.

Path leading to the embankment

I did a double-take with this musician. He looks like James Blunt, but I quickly realized he wasn’t… awkward!

Found a dog playing at the water’s edge.

Walking underneath a bridge.

Leaving the embankment back to Old Town Square.

The embankment really reminds me of the beach boardwalks in SoCal on the weekends. We passed by half a dozen cute beer gardens set up on the side of the river and there were tons of young people and families biking, roller skating, and running on the paths. Taking the extra time to walk while traveling is truly the best way to experience a city!