Prague - Charles Bridge

CHARLES BRIDGE

Charles Bridge, or Karluv Most, is on the top of every Prague visitor's must-see list. It spans 516 meters over the Vlatva River in Prague. It is also popular with Czech artists, musicians and souvenir vendors whose stands line both sides of the bridge year-round. A great time of day to come to the bridge is at sunset when one can enjoy a breathtaking view of the fully lit Prague Castle against the evening sky. Charles bridge is best viewed in the early mornings, before crowds arrive. At peak times, it is thronging with vendors and tourists.

Since 1992, the extensive historic center of Prague, including Charles Bridge, has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

The bridge is now a pedestrian zone (although both tram and car traffic were allowed there in the past) and is almost constantly filled with people. If you want to have it all to yourself, go there at night or very early in the morning.

The construction of the bridge started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century. In charge of the construction was architect Petr Parléř whose other works include the St. Vitus Cathedral  at  the Prague Castle. It is said that egg yolks were mixed into the mortar to strengthen the construction of the bridge.

As the only means of crossing the river Vltava (Moldau) until 1841, the Charles Bridge was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city's Old Town and adjacent areas. This "solid-land" connection made Prague important as a trade route between Eastern and Western Europe. The bridge was originally called the Stone Bridge (Kamenný most) or the Prague Bridge (Pražský most) but has been the "Charles Bridge" since 1870.

As mentioned above, the bridge is 516 meters long; It is nearly 10 meters wide, resting on 16 arches shielded by ice guards. It is protected by three bridge towers, two of them on the Lesser Quarter side and the third one on the Old Town side. The Old Town bridge tower is often considered to be one of the most astonishing civil gothic-style buildings in the world. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them baroque-style, originally erected around 1700 but now all replaced by replicas.

The avenue of 30 mostly baroque statues and statuaries situated on the balustrade forms a unique connection of artistic styles with the underlying gothic bridge. Most sculptures were erected between 1683 and 1714. They depict various saints and parton saints venerated at that time. The most prominent Bohemian sculptors of the time took part in decorating the bridge, such as Matthias Braun, Jan Brokoff, and his sons Michael Joseph and Ferdinand Maximilian.

Among the most notable sculptures, one can find the statuaries of  St. Luthgard, the Holy Crucifix and Calvary, and St. John of Nepomnuk. Well known also is the statue of the knight Bruncvík, although it was erected some 200 years later and does not belong to the main avenue.