The viaduct was constructed by the Hlava & Drábek company using granite quarried directly from the nearby valley floor.
During construction, the bridge required a curved alignment due to the steep terrain, which was a significant engineering challenge at the time.
The structure is nicknamed 'The Prague Semmering' due to its technical similarity to the famous Austrian mountain railway.
The viaduct remains one of the tallest stone railway bridges in Central Europe.
Its construction was completed in just two years, a rapid pace for the technology available at the turn of the 20th century.
The Žampach viaduct is the highest stone railway bridge in the Czech Republic, soaring 41.5 meters above the Kocába valley. Built between 1898 and 1900, the structure serves the Posázavský pacifik railway line between Prague and Čerčany. Its construction utilized locally quarried stone and features a unique curved design to accommodate the sharp incline of the rail route. The bridge stands on seven piers, with the highest reaching 41.5 meters, supporting the track bed across a total length of 108.8 meters. It is an engineering landmark of the late 19th-century Austro-Hungarian railway expansion. The viaduct remains an active railway bridge, still frequently used by both passenger trains and vintage steam locomotives.
From the bottom of the Kocába valley looking up to capture the scale of the stone piers against the trees.
Walk the yellow-marked trail from the nearby village of Jílové u Prahy for the best approach path.
Check the local railway schedule if you want to photograph a train crossing the bridge.
Bring sturdy footwear, as the trails surrounding the valley can be muddy and steep after rainfall.
Do not wander off the marked hiking trails as the terrain around the valley is steep and prone to erosion.
Do not attempt to walk on the tracks or the bridge deck, as it is an active railway line.
