Charles Bridge in Prague – what tourists need to know

The history of the beauty of Prague is connected with the Vltava River, which brings life to the people who settled on the banks. “Wild water”, as the river was called in ancient times, hid in stormy waters many surprises associated with floods, floods that destroy people's homes. Mankind has always tried to tame her temper. Numerous locks were built, bridges were erected. One of the rulers of the water element of the river was the Charles Bridge, which connected the two banks. It, like a unique necklace, not only holds back the recalcitrant Vltava, but also adequately decorates it, becoming a landmark of Prague.

Story

Charles Bridge is considered the oldest architectural structure of the capital, being a symbol of the Czech Republic. Among the 18 bridges of the city, it stands out for its beauty, unique atmosphere of antiquity. Acting as a transport link, the bridge has been of strategic importance throughout Europe since the Middle Ages. It was followed by the “Royal Way”, connecting the Old Town with Prague Castle. The bridge has long been only pedestrian, but walking along it, holding your breath, you can hear the sounds of the king's chariot hurrying to the luxurious Royal Court.

Almost on the site of a stone bridge until the 12th century, there was a wooden bridge, destroyed by the evil forces of the river, in 1157. The order of Vladislav II to build a new stone bridge was executed by 1172. It was called Yuditin after the name of the king's wife. The building stood for almost 170 years. Now the remains of the old bridge are interesting artifacts of antiquity, exhibited for viewing next to the tower and in the basement of the house, located at 82 Lusatian Seminary Street. Its destruction was a national disaster. It was necessary to build a special bridge, not subject to floods and other natural disasters.

Any forces, even magical ones, prompted by astrologers of those times, were attracted to help. At their suggestion, the laying of the first stone of the bridge was made by King Charles IV in 1357, on July 9, at 5 hours, 31 minutes. The numbers 1,3,5,7,9,7,5,3.1, which make up the pyramid, decorated with the number 9, were considered favorable for the start of the construction of an object designed to last for centuries. The end of construction dates back to 1402. The main building material for its creation was a sandstone monolith. Both sides are reliably fortified with powerful towers designed, like the bridge itself, by 22-year-old architect Piotr Parperzh. By this time, his talent had already manifested itself in the construction of the church of St. Vitus.

The total length of the structure is about 520 m, its width is almost 10 m. The structure is supported by 16 arches lined with processed monolithic slabs. They say that the flow of water of the restless Vltava helped to keep the devil. The architect, who concluded a cunning agreement with him, consisting in the transfer of the soul of the first pedestrian across the bridge, slipped a line instead of his son, a black rooster who defeated him. Now the devil reminds of himself in the form of a ghost on a cloudy day, handing out his portrait to passers-by. But this is just an interesting legend among the many stories about the sights of Prague. The original name of the bridge is Stone, then Prague.

Since 1870 it has been called the Charles Bridge. All major historical events in Prague are connected with this bridge. For example, the passage of the Hussites to Prague Castle in 1420, the broken attack of the Swedes in 1648, the famous barricades located in the bridge tower during the European Revolution of 1848. Even the consequences of the catastrophic flood in 1890, which damaged the bridge, were completely eliminated by restoration work that lasted two years. The overhaul of the bridge was carried out in the period of 1975.

A horse-drawn track ran along the bridge, illuminated by kerosene lanterns, which were replaced by gas lighting in 1866. Electricity made it possible to create here in 1908 a tram service between the banks of the river. The melodious ringing of the tram, with the original device of the current collectors of the lower part of the train, replaced the clatter of the hooves of the old horse-drawn tram, lasting until 1974, when the bridge became a pedestrian one.

Street artists, sellers of folk art products, and musicians have become permanent owners of the bridge. The famous sculptures that have been decorating it for six millennia, the ancient towers, the natural strength of the stones hanging by the water, fill the atmosphere of the bridge with a positive aura. It consists of the energy of myths and legends, which attracts millions of tourists to the bridge, regardless of the season.

The extraordinary strength of the stone giant is associated with the legend of a special solution of eggs, milk, wine, which holds sandstone monoliths together. It is believed that this is the only bridge structure in the world reinforced with such products. Not all the secrets of the ancient bridge have been revealed to date. For example, the information of scuba divers who examined one of the foundations of the bridge, about the discovery of an inexplicable layer of compacted moss, which does not develop under water in natural conditions.

Usually, the inhabitants of the XIV century collected it in a forest of fir, laid it among gravel, between stones to create optimal conditions for distributing the weight of the bridge. Or maybe this is determined by the magical forces guarding one of the most beautiful ancient buildings in Prague.

bridge towers

The functions of the coastal fortifications of the ancient structure were performed by towers standing on both sides of the river. For a long time, they were at the same time a solemn decoration of the building. These are architectural masterpieces, and are now functioning.

Old Town Bridge Tower

When approaching the bridge from the east, one cannot help but admire the beautiful building of Europe of the Middle Ages, called the Old Town Tower. The eternal stone bridge still looks majestic from the height of the Gothic tower erected on the intermediate support of the bridge in 1390. She hung right over the waters of the raging Vltava. The height of the tower is almost 50 m above the surface of the bridge. A staircase leads to its interior. The top is decorated with valuable figured plastic. Above the gates of the tower there are coats of arms of different lands of the Roman Empire.

The figure of the famous kingfisher is forever frozen in the lancet arch of the tower. Sculptures of the Czech saints Vitus, Vojtech, Sigismund, as well as the kings of the country, Charles IV, Wenceslas IV, are stored in the premises of the building. This confirms the role of the tower as a triumphal arch. Two types of prisons were located in the tower. In the basement was a prison for ordinary prisoners.

The floor above housed a prison for convicted wealthy representatives of famous estates. During the excursions, it is proposed to examine the conditions of detention of prisoners. Saddle-shaped roof, bay windows, sharp corner spiers complete the tower.

At the top there is a convenient observation deck that receives visitors according to the following schedule: June-September from 10 am to 10 pm, March-May, October from 10 am to 7 pm, November-February from 10 am to 5 pm. During the walk, it is useful to remember that according to legend, you can not hear the cry of an owl flying over the tower in order to prevent a fire in the house. Or notice a mysterious merman living under the base of one of the arches.

Lesser Town Towers

Approaching the bridge from the western direction, it is necessary to stop at the tower walls erected in different periods. They differ in individual architectural style design. The low building of the Romanesque period has existed since the 12th century. It was rebuilt, supplemented with elements of different styles. For example, around 1590, it acquired the features of the Renaissance style. The tower was part of a Romanesque fortress that served to protect the bridge. For some time the tower was used as a prison for dangerous criminals.

The construction of the second tower is associated with the reign of Jiri in 1464. The building resembles the Old Town Tower. Strong gates in the middle of the towers were made under Wenceslas IV. These were two walls connected by arched spans. Between them stood a massive oak door with iron bolts.

The role of decoration of the tower was played by battlements along the edges and hanging coats of arms. At the top of the tower there is an observation deck that offers a view of the Prague Castle, cathedrals, and the modern television tower of the city. They get on it after overcoming 146 steps of a special ladder. Behind the towers there are numerous cafes and restaurants where you can have a delicious lunch.

sculptures

An extraordinary gallery, consisting of 30 thematic sculptural groups, adorns the bridge along its entire length. The best masters of those times created it from 1683 to 1714. Now there are copies of sculptures stored since the 20th century among the exhibits of the National Museum of the Czech Republic. The right side of the bridge is decorated with the following sculptures of saints:

1. Bernard Clairovsky and Madonna. (1709)
2. Dominic and Thomas Aquinas at the feet of the Madonna. (1708)
3. crucifixion. The statue is placed on the site of the former cross, which was considered the only decoration in antiquity (1629). A plaque with an inscription in Hebrew praising Christ is attached to the bronze sculpture. The sculptural group is considered the most ancient in the gallery
4. Anna with her daughter in her arms (the future Virgin Mary) (1707)
5. Cyril and Methodius. They read sermons to the pagans (1928) The statue was erected at the expense of the Czech Ministry of Education.
6. John the Baptist (1857) A sculpture was erected at the place where John of Nepomuk was thrown into the river. In 1911, Yaroslav Gashek tried to jump into the waves of the river here. The jump did not take place thanks to a passerby who managed to grab him by the leg
7. Norbert, Wenceslas, Sigismund (1853)
8. Jan of Nepomuk (1683). Being the Queen's clergyman, he deserved punishment for not revealing the secret of the Queen's confession to her husband.
9. Anthony of Padua with the baby Jesus (1707)
10. Apostle Judas Thaddeus (1708)
11. Blessed Augustine (1708)
12. Cajetan (1709)
13. Philip Benitsky (1714)
14. Vitus with tame lions (1714) According to legend, when the pagans gave St. Vitus to be torn apart by lions, they licked his heels without harming him.
15. Healers Cosmas and Damian (1709) The administration of the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University is considered the initiator of the creation of the sculpture

On the opposite side are the following sculptures of saints:

1. Wenceslas (1858)
2. The sculptural ensemble includes the figures of John of Bohemia, John of Mata, Felix of Valois (1714). Inside the sculpture is a dungeon. It is guarded by a Turk, symbolizes a cave with Christians. Historically, this is connected with the founders of the order, Felix and Jan, who redeemed Christians from the captivity of the Turks. During the war years, the statue served as a sign of hope for the inhabitants of Prague. They brought flowers here. This is the most popular sculpture
3. Vojtech (1709)
4. Luitgarda talking to Christ (1710). The sculpture is considered a valuable element of the gallery, made in the Baroque style. This is the most beautiful sculpture in the gallery
5. Nicholas Talentinsky
6. Prokop of Sazava with angels by Saint Vincent
7. Francis of Assisi
8. Saint Ludmila teaching her grandson to read. Then he becomes Saint Wenceslas (1720). Lyudmila is considered the first martyr of the Czech Republic, who was baptized by Methodius. Together with Wenceslas, they are the most revered saints of the country
9. Francis Borgia
10. Christopher Carrying the Christ Child across the Vltava
11. Knight Brunsvik with a tamed lion. The sculpture is fixed on a support placed outside the bridge railings.
12. Joseph with baby Jesus
13. Lamentation of Christ by John the Theologian, Marina Magdalene
14. Saints Barbara, Elizabeth, Margaret with the head of a dragon near her feet
15. Themis and Iva involved in resolving disputes between their son and mother. Sculpture installed at the initiative of the Faculty of Law

Make a wish

The magic of the building gave birth to unusual customs that became the traditions of pedestrians. A cherished dream comes true if you think about it in specific places on the bridge:

It is said that a wish will come true if you touch any sculpture of the bridge. And lovers should definitely kiss on it. The unusual architectural complex of the bridge is complemented by a neo-Gothic staircase leading to the island of Campo. She has always been here. At first wooden, and since 1844 it became majestic, stone.

Where is it located and how to get there

You can go to the Charles Bridge through each of the towers. You can drive up to the Lesser Town Towers, located from the western direction, by bus, tram. The stopping point is called Malostranské náměst. When traveling by metro, you need to get off at the Malostranská stop on the green transport line. It is easy to get to the Old Town Tower by tram or metro. The stops of the tram line are called Karlovy lázně”, “Národní divadlo”, “Staroměstská”.

The ancient bridges of the planet evoke inexplicable feelings of touching the life of bygone civilizations of past centuries. Maybe standing on the amazing Charles Bridge, looking at the mysterious waters of the Vlatva River, you will be lucky to see the magic Czech stone called Vltavin. And it is his magical power, born during the cataclysmic formation of the earth, that manifests itself on the bridge.

Charles Bridge on the map