There are so many legends and stories about the bridge of the world, as about the Charles Bridge, which is located in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. Thousands of tourists come here to touch the age-old stones, inspect the ancient towers and make a wish by touching one of the statues of saints installed on the bridge.
History
Charles Bridge connects two districts separated by the river - Prague Small Castle and Old Town.
A bridge over the Vltava River was built in the 14th century by order of Emperor Charles IV. Previously, there was a stone Juditin bridge on this place, but it lasted only two centuries and collapsed during the flood. The inhabitants of Prague could not do without a bridge that would connect the two parts of the city.
For 15 years the Czechs had been waiting for a new bridge: they had to choose a suitable place, because the old one did not fit, and houses and farms interfered upstream. As a result, only in 1357 the construction of a new crossing began. The 23-year-old Peter Parler was appointed the chief architect, and the date for the start of construction was chosen with the help of … astrologers. According to legend, the foundation of the structure was laid on 9/7/1357 at 5:31 am. Apparently, the stars formed as they should, and the bridge turned out to be reliable - it has been standing for seven centuries.
Charles Bridge was built from hewn blocks, red sandstone, small stones - pebbles, which were filled with a good solution.
The design came out more perfect than that of the predecessor bridge. Charles Bridge towered 12 meters above the water, and the number of supports was reduced from 24 to 16, due to which the arches became wider.
The story goes that on the site on the left, the prisoners were beheaded, and their bodies were dumped. On another site, a wooden cross was erected, at which the condemned could pray before death.
Description
The length of the Charles Bridge in Prague is 520 meters, the width is about 10 meters.
Towers are installed on both sides of the structure. Through the Old Town Tower one could get to the Old Town. The building is decorated with coats of arms and decorative elements, above the gate you can see the kingfisher - the favorite bird of Wenceslas IV. There are also statues of the patrons of the Czech Republic - Saints Vojtech and Sigismund, and also St. Vitus - the patron saint of the Prague bridge.
On the western bank of the Vltava stand the Lesser Towns Towers - one smaller, the other higher, and between them there is a gate.
Tourists believe that if you touch any statue of the Charles Bridge with your hand and make a wish, it will definitely come true. The most popular among visitors is the oldest statue on the bridge - the sculpture of the martyr Jan of Nepomuk, who was drowned in the river by order of Wenceslas IV.
Tours and opening hours
The bridge is open every day and does not close. Excursions on it are carried out in a complex with visits to other sights of Prague. There is a lot of information about the bridge itself on the Internet, so a guide is not required for a separate visit to Charles Bridge. Numerous sites are full of layouts for sculptures and legends associated with each.
Exact address and directions
Charles Bridge in Prague is hard not to find - it is the only pedestrian crossing in the city, it is not difficult to find it using maps. There are three tram stops near it: Karlovy lázně and Staroměstská (Stare Mesto) on the right bank and Malostranské náměstí (Mala Strana) on the left. During the day, they can be reached by trams - 2, 17, 18, 194 and 207. At night, trams 194 and 207 run from the Stare Mesto stop.
You can also get to this area of Prague by metro - to the Staroměstská station (line A) on the right bank of the river and to the Malostranská metro station (line A) on the left.
