Charles Bridge in Prague

Charles Bridge is definitely the most important and recognizable landmark not only in Prague, but in the whole Czech Republic. It is hard to find a tourist who has visited the capital of the republic and has not been here.

This popularity is due to the historical component: the bridge is about to turn 400 years old and has played an important role in key events in the city. And the marketing component has also made its mark: magnets, photos and postcards from Prague containing the image of the Charles Bridge are sold in huge numbers all over the world.

All this puts its own imprint on the place. So in this article I will tell you about the history of the bridge and its current state, give you a few lifehacks, show cool photos, share my own impressions and give you some basic tourist information.

History

In 1172, during the reign of King Vladislav II and his wife Jutta of Thuringia, the construction of the Judith post was completed on this very spot. It was an important element of communication between the banks of the Vltava River and continued to serve until the reign of Charles IV.

Unfortunately, the bridge was not built reliably, so it was increasingly inadequate to meet the demands corresponding to the dramatic economic and commercial boom. A more modern counterpart was needed. And when in 1342 the bridge was almost completely destroyed by a flood (you can still see the remains of one of the arches of the Judith Bridge if you visit the basement of the house at 82 Lusatian Seminary Street), construction of a new bridge – the Charles Bridge – began in its place.

Charles IV ordered the construction of a new bridge, and laid the first stone personally, on a date that astrologers of the time considered magical: August 9, 1357, at 5:31 am. Thus there was a series of odd numbers going in ascending order to the center, and then – in descending order: 1 3 5 7 (year) 9 (day) 7 (month) 5 (hours) 3 1 (minutes).

The inauguration of the Charles Bridge took place in 1380, but the construction itself was completed in the early 15th century.

The bridge was seriously damaged during a flood in early September 1890, when logs and debris washed into the water formed a natural dam and two supports and three spans collapsed from the high pressure. It took 2 years to rebuild.

It is an interesting fact that until 1908 a horse-drawn streetcar (horse streetcar tobish) was laid across Karlom Bridge, and in 1905 it was electrified and a regular streetcar with a lower current collector ran here. Unfortunately or fortunately, the route was liquidated in 1908 (it reminded me, as a Zaporozhian, that at one time streetcars also ran through the Dnieper hydroelectric power station, but after the war the line was closed).

Modernity

Today, the Charles Bridge can be called the face of Prague. Numerous crowds of tourists come to the bridge every day to admire it, to see it with their own eyes, to study the 30 sculptures and sculpture groups that are located here and are no less important than the bridge itself.

The total length is 520 meters and the width is 9.5 meters. The height of the structure is only 13 meters. As of today, it is strictly pedestrianized, and only vehicles of special services can enter here.

There are three towers connected to the bridge, which were built at different times. On the eastern side is the Old Town Tower (by the way, it offers an amazing view of the Charles Bridge itself, I climbed it on my birthday). And on the west side are the two Malostranskie Bridge Towers.

An integral part can be called sculptures. There are 30 of them and they are all incredibly beautiful. Most of them were built during the Baroque period by the best masters of the time, including Matthias Bran, Jan Brokof and others. One of the most famous is the sculptures of the Czech saint Jan Nepomuchky, whose body, after torture, was thrown off the bridge at this very spot.

The sculptures at the time were built of materials that were not durable, including sandstone. Most were replaced by copies made between 1683 and 1714, and the originals are now on display in the National Museum.

My impressions

Yes, the Charles Bridge is a very iconic place. I was very interested to see it. And of course we have been here. However, I would like to point out the main disadvantage: there are so many tourists here, like cockroaches in a dormitory. Especially in the daytime it is difficult to pass here without rubbing yourself against a hundred more people. It is very difficult to take an acceptable photo or study the sculpture.

Of course, there’s a good way to do that. You have to come here early in the morning. Very early, preferably before sunrise, when it’s just starting to get light. Then there are no people here and you can really enjoy the place.

Of course, it’s worth taking the time to see the statues. And be sure to climb one of the towers to see the bridge from above.

There are a lot of different goodies sold on the bridge, but the prices are unreasonably high: two steps away from the bridge the prices drop by half, and in a good pastry shop even cheaper. There are also souvenirs: magnets, postcards and other small things that people like to bring from traveling. You should not take them here either, but it is better to read my tips on what to bring from Prague as a gift as souvenirs and where it is better to buy them.

Tourist information

The Charles Bridge is accessible 24 hours a day and is free to visit.

The easiest way to get to Charles Bridge from the east side is by Prague public transportation. To get there, take streetcar 2, 11, 14, 17, 18 or 93 and get off at the Karlovy lázně (Karlovy Baths) stop. From the stop to the bridge is 230 meters.

Bus 194 stops 300 meters away, the stop is Staroměstská. From here you have to walk a little more – 300 meters.

Take the metro to Staromestska station on the A line.

If you need to take the right bank to the western towers, you will have to walk a longer distance of 400 to 500 meters.

Take streetcar 7, 12, 15, 20, 22, 23, 97 or bus 192 to the Malostranské náměstí (Malostranské Square) stop.

Charles Bridge on the map of Prague: