Prague’s oldest bridge has withstood a great many hardships over the centuries
The foundation stone of Charles Bridge was laid by Bohemian King and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. He initiated construction of this gothic stone bridge in 1357 after the previous bridge was swept away by a devastating flood. It was not completed until 1402, and continues to link the left and right banks of the Vltava River to this day.
Its history was accompanied by numerous tragic events, wars, as well as destructive floods. During the worst of these, in 1890, three bridge arches collapsed. But it was always repaired and the bridge now offers a gorgeous view of Prague Castle – according to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest coherent castle complex in the world and by far the most visited heritage site in Czechia.
The Charles, Prague, or Stone Bridge?
All three names are correct. The name, Charles Bridge, did not originate during the actual era of the construction of the monument. For a very long time in the past, the bridge was simply called the Pražský most (Prague Bridge) because it was the only bridge in Prague. In addition to this name, people also called it the Kamenný (Stone) bridge. The name, Karlův most (Charles Bridge) originated in the late 19th century, and is derived from the name of its founder.
Open-air gallery
During a stroll along the bridge, you are essentially walking through an outdoor gallery of baroque statues and sculptural groups. The bridge's embellishments come from the studios of renowned artists of the time. Those who contributed include sculptural luminaries Matthias Bernard Braun (the sculptor who created the statues at the Baroque Kuks Hospital), Jan Brokoff, and his son, Ferdinand Maximillian Brokoff.
A total of thirty statues of prominent saints line the entire half-kilometre length of the bridge, of which the most famous is the statue of St John of Nepomuk. Also of great artistic value are the two medieval towers that protected the bridge - Lesser Town Bridge Tower and Old Town Bridge Tower. From their viewing galleries, you get a stunning view of the flowing Vltava River and the historical city centre.
Legends and myths
Ancient legends remain magical to this day. The oldest legend about Charles Bridge is linked to the celebratory inauguration of its construction. The foundation stone was allegedly laid by Charles IV himself on 9 July 1357 at exactly 5:31 a.m. upon the advice of court astrologers. This rare moment was furthermore heightened by the alignment of the Leo constellation, the symbol of the Bohemian kings, and the high visibility of Mars, the planet of great acts and warriors.
And, what’s more. This resulted in a sequence of odd numbers from one to nine and back (1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1), known as a palindrome. Whether you read a palindrome’s words, sentences or sequence from left to right or the other way around, they sound the same.
Another legend tells of how eggs were used to strengthen the mortar. Unfortunately, this legend was refuted several years ago by an analysis of the bridge's construction materials. This analysis, however, did show that the medieval builders added milk and wine to the mortar.
Bridge of artists
Besides this open-air sculpture gallery, on Charles Bridge you can also admire or purchase a wide variety of pictures, hand-made jewellery and other arts and crafts, or have your likeness immortalised forever by one of the street artists on the bridge. There are also plenty of “concerts” to enjoy there. Pretty much every day the atmosphere of this most famous of Prague’s sights is made even more magical by musicians, singers and street organists.
Our tip: At exactly 11:11 a.m. on 11th November 2024, Saint Martin will ride across Charles Bridge on a white horse pulling a wagon of snow! You can also look forward to theatre performances and a mediaeval fair.
© Prague City Tourism
Take a walk along Charles Bridge and discover for yourself that it is rightfully regarded as one of the most beautiful monuments in the world. You can find out all you need to know about Charles Bridge at the Charles Bridge Museum, situated in the St. Francis of Assisi Church behind the Old Town Bridge Tower.
The celebration of the laying of the foundation stone of the Charles Bridge will take place on 9 June 2024 at 5:31 pm on Křižovnice Square. The celebration will begin with a procession of Charles IV and his medieval retinue on horseback, including musicians and dancers, across Charles Bridge.
Did you know that...? Interesting Facts from the History of Charles Bridge
In 1621, after the defeat of the Bohemian Estates Uprising, which resulted in the Thirty Years’ War, baskets containing the heads of the 12 lords - the leaders of the revolt - executed on Old Town Square were hung on Charles Bridge as a warning.
Until the chain bridge of Emperor Francis I was completed in 1841, Charles Bridge was the only route crossing the Vltava River in Prague.
A horse-drawn tram began to run across the bridge in 1883. This was replaced by an electric tram in 1905, followed in turn by a bus in 1908. The bridge was not closed to cars until 1965.
The statue of the seated Charles IV on the Old Town Bridge Tower is a lifelike depiction of Bohemia’s greatest ruler and the founder of the bridge.
The Lesser Town Bridge Tower is the oldest part of the bridge. Its foundations formed part of the original Judith Bridge.
The originals of the statues standing on the balustrades of Charles Bridge are stored in the Casemates in the underground Gorlice Hall within the fortifications of Prague’s Vyšehrad, as well as in the Lapidarium of the National Museum.
In the summer of 2022, Charles Bridge was one of the stars of Instagram. It came in at 10th place in the ranking of the most popular places in the world based on the number of times it was posted. According to reviews on TripAdvisor and a study by the British company Kuoni, which analysed hundreds of thousands of reviews, Prague’s oldest bridge is the 6th most beautiful heritage site in the world.
Charles Bridge is the second oldest preserved bridge in Czechia. The oldest is the bridge in Písek.
