Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge is the romantic heart of Prague, a medieval stone bridge begun in 1357 spanning the Vltava between the old town and the castle, lined with thirty baroque statues of saints and guarded by Gothic towers at each end. Crossing it, with the castle rising ahead and the river below, is one of the definitive experiences of the city.

Background

Building began in 1357 under King Charles IV and ended in 1402. Legend says Charles IV laid the first stone at 5:31am on 9 July 1357, a moment chosen because date and time form a palindrome. It replaced the Judith Bridge of 1158-1172, badly damaged by a flood in 1342. Modelled on the Stone Bridge in Regensburg, it measures 516 metres in length and nearly 10 metres across, on 16 arches with ice guards. Until 1841 it was the only way over the Vltava, and it lies on the old coronation route of the Bohemian kings. Its first names were Stone Bridge and Prague Bridge, and Charles Bridge has been used since 1870.

Source: Wikipedia, "Charles Bridge"

The main sights

• The baroque statues - the thirty saints lining the bridge, including St John of Nepomuk.
• The bridge towers - the Gothic gate towers at each end, climbable for views.
• The castle view - Prague Castle rising above the river ahead.
• The buskers and artists - the musicians and sellers along the span.

When to go

Year-round; dawn is the magic hour, when the bridge is nearly empty and the light golden, before the crowds fill it by mid-morning. Winter mist and snow are atmospheric.

Good to know

By day it is thronged shoulder to shoulder with tourists, buskers and stalls, so the serene photos require an early start. The statues are copies, with the originals in a museum. Its beauty is best felt at dawn or after dark.

Nearby

The old town and the Lesser Town lead off each end; Prague Castle is up the hill.

Key facts