This island is a sleepy, dog-eared sandbank with pleasant gardens, river views and several jetties where you can hire rowing boats. In the middle stands Žofín, a 19th-century cultural centre that has been restored as a restaurant and social venue. In 1925 the island was named after the Slav conventions that had taken place here since 1848.
The island's banks were reinforced with stone in 1784, and a spa and dye works were built in the early part of the following century. Bohemia’s first train had a demonstration run here in 1841, roaring down the island at a rattling 11km/h. At the southern end is Šitovská věž, a 15th-century water tower (once part of a mill) with an 18th-century onion-dome roof.
