Padlým

Padlým is a modest memorial standing in the village of Velká, now part of the municipality of Kamýk nad Vltavou in the Příbram district, Central Bohemia. The Czech name translates literally as "To the Fallen" — a common title for local war memorials found across Czech villages, honoring residents who died in war. The monument sits in a small settlement on the Vltava river, surrounded by rocky cliffs and forest, off the main tourist routes of the region.

Where exactly is Velká?

The village lies about 2.5 km north of Kamýk nad Vltavou, at the point where the Vápenický stream flows into the Vltava, right beside road II/102. Its cadastral territory, known as "Velká nad Vltavou," covers 4.14 km² within the Příbram district of Central Bohemia. Velká was an independent municipality until 1979; since 1 January 1980 it has been administratively part of Kamýk nad Vltavou. Between 1954 and 1960 it briefly formed a joint municipality with the neighboring village of Vestec, together counting over 250 residents.

How big is the village today?

The 2021 census recorded 104 residents living in 52 houses — a fraction of the historical peak of 326 inhabitants recorded in 1900. The first written mention of Velká dates back to 1325, and its history is tied to the nearby Vrškamýk castle, first documented in 1523. The local volunteer fire brigade has operated since 1905. Between 1952 and 1954, the construction of the Slapy dam and the resulting rise in the Vltava's water level flooded 14 houses in the village.

What draws visitors to the area around the memorial?

On the opposite, left bank of the Vltava lies a "rock city" — a cluster of granite formations known locally as the Sphinxes, the Chimney, the Grandmother with a Basket, and the Vulture's Head. It is a recognized climbing area with more than 200 routes rated from grade 3 to 8 on the UIAA scale. Along the riverbank runs the historic "Dlážděnka" paved path, walkable whenever the reservoir's water level stays at or below 267 meters above sea level. The Vltava canyon around Velká and Kamýk is also home to a critically endangered butterfly, the white-banded grayling, whose habitat is maintained through slope clearing and goat grazing.

What is actually known about the Padlým memorial itself?

Available sources do not specify the year the memorial was unveiled, the number of names it carries, or the exact conflict it commemorates — village memorials of this kind in Czech villages were typically erected after the First World War, with some later expanded to include Second World War victims. Without further on-site documentation, these details cannot be confirmed specifically for Velká, so this account is limited to what is certain: it is a local memorial whose very name identifies it as a tribute to the village's fallen residents.

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Padlým mean? It is the Czech dative plural form used in memorial titles to mean "To the Fallen" — a standard name for local war memorials.

Where exactly is the memorial located? In the village of Velká, part of the municipality of Kamýk nad Vltavou, Příbram district, about 2.5 km north of Kamýk's center.

Is there anything else worth seeing nearby? Yes — a rock city with granite climbing formations on the opposite bank of the Vltava, and the historic Dlážděnka riverside path.

How do you get to Velká? Road II/102 runs through the village, connecting it to Kamýk nad Vltavou and other settlements in the Příbram district.

How many people live in Velká today? The 2021 census counted 104 residents in 52 houses, well below the historical peak of 326 inhabitants recorded in 1900.