Čertovka, Medieval canal in Malá Strana, Czech Republic.

Čertovka is a medieval waterway that winds about 740 meters through Malá Strana, flowing between old stone buildings and beneath multiple bridges. The water forms a natural barrier and connection point for the layered architecture of this historic neighborhood.

The channel was created in the 12th century by the Knights of Malta to power a series of water mills. Over time, this construction fundamentally reshaped the area's geography and formed new landmasses.

The name Čertovka, meaning Devil's Canal, likely dates from the 19th century and may come from the house called U Sedmi čertů (At the Seven Devils). The stretch between Charles Bridge and the Vltava is nicknamed Prague Venice for its house backs close to the water. The Velkopřevorský mlýn still has its wooden wheel.

The canal runs 740 m from the Smíchov weir above Legií Bridge to its mouth on the Vltava just past Charles Bridge. It is shallow and crossed by a series of small footbridges, so walking both banks is easy; the wooden mill wheel at Velkopřevorský mlýn and the stretch called Prague Venice lie near the northern end.

The channel is fed by a tunnel several hundred metres long that draws water from the upper part of the Smíchov weir above Legií Bridge, not directly from the Vltava at this spot. The name Čertovka probably dates only from the 19th century, likely from the house called U Sedmi čertů (At the Seven Devils).