PRAGUE'S CHARLES BRIDGE

Charles Bridge has a rich and fascinating history stretching over 660 years.

Charles Bridge is a medieval stone arch bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czechia.

Prague's oldest bridge was built to replace the Judith Bridge built 1158–1172 that had been badly damaged by floods in 1342. Construction of the new bridge, originally called Stone Bridge or Prague Bridge, began in 1357 under the auspices of Czech King Charles IV and was finished in 1402. Since 1870 the bridge has been called Charles Bridge. The historic centre of Prague was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

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 Charles IV ordered to add eggs to the mortar to increase its strength of the bridge. Unlike its predecessor, Charles Bridge has survived many floods, most recently in August 2002 when the country experienced the worst flood in the past 500 years. So the eggs must not have been such a bad idea.

Charles Bridge is an impressive feat of engineering and a work of art. The bridge is adorned with 30 Baroque statues added in the 17th and 18th centuries. These statues depict various saints and historical figures, including St. John of Nepomuk, who is said to bring good luck to those who touch his statue.

Charles Bridge was founded, as is generally known, by Charles IV in 1357.

The first stone was laid at a particular time. The bridge was constructed by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV (1316-1378) and a legend mentioned that it was the Emperor himself who laid the first stone. One of the most remarkable facts about Charles Bridge is the Emperor, who was a fan of numerology, laid the stone at exactly 1357, 9 of July, 5:31 a.m. This particular time is a palindrome as it reads the same backward, 135797531, which the Emperor believed would give the bridge extra strength!

View of Charles Bridge in Prague.

It originally had some different names. The official name of the bridge is “Karlův most,” which translates to “Charles Bridge,” a name given to it in the year 1870 in honor of the man who commissioned it. Before this, the bridge was known as either “Stone Bridge” (Kamenný most) or “Prague Bridge” (Pražský most).

3D Image from Google Earth.

View of Charles Bridge from Google Earth.

The Charles Bridge looking very impressive as it stretches across the Vltava river.

Tourist boats on Vltava River with Charles Bridge and Old Town Bridge Tower.

Charles Bridge early in the morning.

A view of Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge from the Old Town Bridge Tower.

View from above with tourists strolling on Charles Bridge.

The Old Town Bridge Tower of Charles Bridge.

Old stone arch bridge over the Vltava river.

Arches and ice guards of the Charles Bridge.

Seagulls flying around the Charles Bridge in every spring and fall.

Swans of the Vltava River in Prague.

Yoga on the Charles bridge in Prague June 21, 2022 is International Yoga Day. At 5 o'clock in the morning, about four hundred people who arrived for this unique yoga lesson welcomed the first day of summer.

The Old Town Bridge Tower of Charles Bridge from Crusaders Square (Křižovnické námĕstí).

The entrance to the tower and Prague castle view.

Tulip patch with Charles Bridge and Prague Castle.

View of Charles Bridge, Prague Castle from Křížovnické Square.

A worthy entrance to the most beautiful bridge in Europe.

View of Prague Castle from Charles Bridge. Prague Castle, founded in 880 by Prince Bořivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty, is the largest coherent castle complex in the world. It covers 70,000 square meters.

Prague Venice Boat Trip on the river.

Boat tours & underground water tunnel in Prague, which runs under Charles Bridge and the rest of Judith Bridge.

View from Malá Strana Bridge Tower.

How long is Charles Bridge? The bridge is longer than one might expect as it has a total length of 516 meters (1,693 feet). It’s also relatively wide for such an old bridge as it has a width of 9.5 meters (31 feet). The longest span of the bridge, however, is just 13.4 meters (44 feet), while the clearance below the highest point is 13 meters (43 feet). The bridge has 16 arches and 15 pillars, each shielded by ice guards.

View of Charles Bridge with Lesser Town Bridge Tower from 3D Google Earth.

Kampa View-under the Charles Bridge.

The historic stone staircases of Charles Bridge to Kampa island in Mala Strana district, Prague. The grand staircase was completed in 1844, replacing an earlier one from 1785. In the 1996 film "Mission: Impossible", Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is seen running up the steps leading to Charles Bridge in Prague.

Charles Bridge of Postcard, Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, 1970s.

View of Kampa island from Charles Bridge.

View of Chertovka River from Charles Bridge near the Lesser Town Bridge Tower.

Towers on the Lesser Town side. Double Gothic arched gates between the two towers lead to the Small Town. On the left is the bridge tower of Judith Bridge, on the right is the Malá Strana bridge tower of Charles Bridge.

Sculpted by Ferdinand Brokoff in 1714, this statue was donated by Matěj Vojtěch Macht of Löwenmacht, the dean of the Vyšehrad canonry. St. Vitus is portrayed standing on a base in the shape of cave, from which lions crawl up. The Saint is depicted as a Roman aristocrat, martyred for his faith.

Sunrise parade medieval historic reenactment to commemorate 667th anniversary of laying the foundation stone of iconic Charles Bridge in Prague, on 9 July 2024.

Medieval parade, Wenceslaus IV, son of Charles IV across the Charles Bridge.

Charles IV was accompanied by his wife, knights, and soldiers.

The bridge is protected by 3 bridge towers. Access to the Charles Bridge was protected by bridge towers, built at either end of the bridge. The tower on the side of the Old Town, known as Old Town Bridge Tower, was built by Peter Parler between 1370 and 1391. On the Lesser Town end of the Charles Bridge are two bridge towers. The smaller one, the Judith Tower, was built in 1188 to guard the entrance to the Judith Bridge. The adjoining, taller tower was erected in 1464 on the orders of King George of Poděbrady, who wanted a counterpart to the Old Town Bridge Tower.

Charles Bridge Gate Towers on the Lesser Town side. You can climb up the one on the right. The Lesser Town Bridge Tower is 43.5m high and is a rare surviving example in Prague of the post-Hussite Gothic style. It is very interesting because the tower takes you back to the Middle Ages. The taller bridge tower is Gothic, and it was built after 1464 at the expense of George Podebradsky on the site of an older Romanesque tower.

Tower's gate entrance with medieval flags. The tower serves as the entrance to Malá Strana from the Charles Bridge. In medieval times, soldiers would use these as defense posts to protect the city from enemy forces. The gate was built after 1411 on the site of an older, Romanesque building, and was originally closed with an oak gate and an iron lattice. The gate has a wall with battlements, where the transitional gallery is located. The gates are marked with the coats of arms of Wenceslaus IV: on the battlements are carved the coats of arms with the imperial eagle, the Czech lion and the coat of arms of the Upper Puddles; under them are the coats of arms of the Old Place and the Small Country.

Statue of a witch (gargoyle) screaming with a broom on wall of the Lesser Town Bridge Tower at the end of Charles Bridge, dating from 1440s or 1450s. Witch hunts in the Holy Roman Empire experienced some of the largest and most brutal witch trials in history, with estimates ranging from 25,000 to 35,000 executions occurring between the 15th and 18th centuries.

Dragon statue from left and lion fighting owl statue from the right console of the gate of the Lesser Town Bridge Tower.

Relief of the devil on the Judith Tower.

Mostecká street in the Lesser Town linking the Lesser Town square with the left bank end of the Charles Bridge.

Colourful buildings in Baroque style with Lesser Town Bridge Tower.

Another witch statue and eagle fighting dog statue that look like a dragon, Lesser Town Bridge Tower.

Another gargoyle statue on wall of Lesser Town Tower, Mostecká street. The gargoyle on the Lesser Town Bridge Tower is a decorative element that serves to drain water from the roof. These gargoyles usually represent fantastical creatures that are supposed to protect the building from evil forces.

Museum inside the Lesser Town Bridge Tower.

Inside view of the Lesser Town Tower.

The entrance to battlement of the Lesser Town Bridge Tower.

The Lesser Town Bridge Tower: The path around the roof is quite narrow.

View of the battlement from above, the Lesser Town Bridge Tower.

The Old Town Bridge Tower is one of the most beautiful Gothic gateways in the Europe. The tower, along with the Charles Bridge, was built by Emperor Charles IV according to designs by Petr Parléř in the mid-14th century. The gate to the Old Town was also conceived as a symbolic victory arch through which Czech kings passed on their coronation processions. The 64-meter-tall (210 ft.) tower originally featured sculpted decorations on both the east and west facades, but the sculptures on the western facade were severely damaged during a siege by Swedish troops in 1648 and removed afterward. Fortunately, the decorations on the eastern facade have been preserved. For an unforgettable view, visitors must climb 138 steps to the viewing gallery.

West Facade of Old Town Bridge Tower.

East Facade of Old Town Bridge Tower.

Saint Procopius of Sázava and Saint Sigismund of Burgundy sculptures on the Old Town Bridge Tower guarding end of the Charles Bridge.

Old Town Bridge Tower, statues, Left Emperor Charles IV, St. Vitus and Wenceslas IV, son of Charles IV, Prague.

Sculptures of jousting helmets with coat of arms on Old Town Tower. A 15th century depiction from the Gelhausenův Codex of Wenceslaus I of Bohemia King of Bohemia from 1230 to 1253, in full jousting tournament armour (right).

Statues of two Demons and Lion: Petr Parléř placed the sculpture of a lion on the eastern facade of the tower, above the heads of the monarchs and under the feet of the saints, 14th century, Around 1380.

These 6 grotesques made of stone have been watching down from the Old Town Bridge Tower, dating from 1380-1385.

Medieval stone carving with large curled tusks, the Old Town Bridge Tower.

The Old Town Bridge Tower: the left part of the row of shields on the east façade (left to right: Nysa, Wroclaw, Świdnica, Moravia, the Holy Roman Empire).

Coat of arms on the Old Town Bridge Tower guarding end of the Charles Bridge. Prague was first the capital of the Holy Roman Empire when Charles IV was crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1355 until he died in 1378. After his death, his son Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia assumed the government of the Holy Roman Empire as Emperor-elect.

PRAGUE, medieval coat of arms in a shield, 14th century.

On both sides of the upper archway, several kingfishers in knotted-towels, sign of spa-guild, symbol of Wenceslas IV (son of Charles IV), also symbol of pure soul, can protect from lightning, multiples treasuries and calms the storm.

These 4 Statues on the lower part of the Old Town Bridge Tower.

Statues, Lion fighting snake and eagle attacking a dog totally looks like a dragon, Old Town Bridge Tower at the end of Charles Bridge.

Old Town Bridge Tower arched gateway at Charles Bridge.

The interior is painted with coats of arms and patterns of the Old Town Bridge Tower from the late 1380s or 1390s.

Jesus Christ in the vault of the Old Town Bridge Tower.

Old Town Bridge Tower, ca. 1380.

And if you want to see the kingfishers in color, they are authentically displayed in the arches of the gate, so don't forget to look up as you walk by.

The entrance to the Old Town Bridge Tower.

An entrance leads from the arched passage to the tower, where a spiral staircase with 138 steps leads to the gallery of the tower, which today is an observation deck with panoramic views of the Vltava River, Charles Bridge and part of the historical center of Prague. The ascent to the observation deck is paid. The ticket office is located in the tower.

Inside view of the Old Town Bridge Tower in Prague.

A beautiful heavy metal medieval door and wooden gothic ceiling with coat of arms.

Original wooden timbers from the 14th Century inside the roof of the Old Town Bridge Tower. It was made of wood without using a single nail.

The rooftop views of the Old Town Bridge Tower.

View of the Old Town, from the top of the Old Town Bridge Tower, at the east end of Charles Bridge. There are two Baroque churches in old Town. On the left is the St. Francis Of Assisi Church was built in 1679-1688, and in front is the Church of St. Salvator was built in 1578-1601.

River Vltava which is 430 km long is the longest river in Czechia and crossed by 18 bridges as it flows through Prague City. It was one of the most important bridges in Europe until the 19th century. One of the most fascinating facts about Charles Bridge is that it was the only way to cross the Vltava River for hundreds of years. Upon its completion until the year 1841, there was no other way to easily cross the river as it was the only bridge in the city. This means that it can be considered one of the most important bridges in Europe as it was a crucial crossing for trade routes going from western to eastern Europe and vice versa!

Statue of Charles IV next to Charles Bridge. The monument of King Charles IV is one of the best preserved and most significant neo-Gothic statues in Central Europe. It was created in 1848 on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Prague Charles University, which was founded by Charles IV in 1348. The monarch is shown holding the deed of foundation of the university in his right hand. The monument is about 4 metres high (8 metres with the pedestal) and made of bronze.

Charles Bridge at Night

Charles Bridge and the area look amazing at night! The area around Charles Bridge is without a doubt the most picturesque spot in all of Prague. If you really want to enjoy an amazing sight, then you definitely must check out the area at night and during the winter period! The view of Prague Castle is simply mesmerizing!

Charles Bridge and Castle Prague of Postcard.

A beautiful night landscape with a view of the Charles Bridge, St. Vitus Cathedral, the reflection of lights in the water.

Lamplighter lights a street gas light at the Charles Bridge in Prague. Between 1723 and 1866, the bridge was illuminated by oil lamps. Oil lamps were replaced in 1866 by gas lamps.

Lesser Town Bridge Tower at night.

The view of Castle Prague with Charles Bridge from Karlovy Lázně tram stop.

View of Charles Bridge with Old Town Bridge Tower from Kampa island.

A night view of Old Town Bridge Tower and Statue of Charles IV.

A group of statues and Old Town Bridge Tower at night.

Charles Bridge Statues

This postcard shows the view of Statues on Charles Bridge.

There are 30 statues mounted to the balustrade of Charles Bridge in Prague. They form two rows, one on each side.

Copper engraving with a view of Charles Bridge in 1729. E. Bäck.

One of the most stunning facts about Charles Bridge is that it’s decorated with 30 Baroque statues which were created between 1683 and 1714 by some of the most renowned sculptors from the Baroque era, including Matthias Braun, Jan Brokoff and his sons Michael Joseph and Ferdinand Maxmilian. The oldest statue in its original form is St. John of Nepomuk from 1683, the last one was the group of statues of St. Cyril and Methodius in 1938. At that time, statues were a political necessity, not just decoration. In 1526 to 1740 Czech lands (then known as the Lands of the Bohemian Crown) were under the rule of Austrian Habsburgs — they restored the Catholic Archbishopric of Prague, and the Catholic Church supported their power. First they destroyed the tomb of Jan Hus, the leader of the rebellion against the church (Hussite Wars), and then they started to put statues on the bridge to remind people how much faith had influenced the prosperity of the country.

Well, this was the case until recently when the original statues were removed and replaced by replicas. This process started in the year 1965 and the original statues can now be admired in the Lapidarium of the National Museum or in Gorlice hall at Vysehrad in Prague. Most of the statues are made of sandstone, St. Philip Benicius is made of marble, and St. Cross (Calvary) and St. John of Nepomuk are made of bronze.

St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Procopius. One of the most artistically important pieces on the bridge, this statue was sculpted by Ferdinand Brokoff in 1712, paid for by Romedius Josef František, the count Thun and lord of Choltice. The statue in the decoration of the pedestal is supported by a trio of heraldic figures, a half-figure of a humiliated Turk, a Jew and a devil. St. Vincent is on the left, with a coffin and a kneeling penitent sinner by his legs. Saint Procopius of Sázava stands on a devil to the right.

More pictures of St Vincent Ferrer and St Procopius Sculptural Group (F. M. Brokoff, 1712).

The statue of Madonna and Saint Bernard was sculpted by Matěj Václav Jäckel in 1709 on Charles Bridge. St. Bernard, the founder of the Cistercian order, looks up at the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus, in front of whom stands an angel with a mitre (abbot's infula) in his hand.

Puttis and rooster detail from the statues of Madonna and Saint Bernard (1709) on Charles Bridge.

Bronze sculpture of martyr Saint John of Nepomuk, Place where St John of Nepomuk was thrown into the River Vltava and drowned in 1393 for supposedly refusing to divulge a confession. The original grille was made at the end of the 17th century. In 1890, the bridge arch on which it stood collapsed during a flood. In 1894, a new grille was made from the found parts according to the design of Josef Mocker.

If you walk some steps ahead of the St. John of Nepomuk statue you will see a small bronze cross. This is placed to mark the location from where St. John of Nepomuk was thrown into the river. It is a common belief that if you touch this cross and make a wish it will come true within a year and a day. Another way to make a wish here is to place each of your fingers on the five stars located on a plaque below the cross.

St. John of Nepomuk is buried inside of the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle. His tomb is the heaviest silver sarcophagus in the Czechia - 1600 kilograms of pure silver! To visit St. John of Nepomucene's tomb, you have to get a ticket to the Prague castle, which will allow you to enter the cathedral interiors.

The most famous statue of St. John of Nepomuk is the oldest statue of the Charles Bridge and the only bronze statue there. It was made by Jan Brokoff and installed on the bridge in 1683, 290 years after Nepomuk's death, and 46 years before his veneration. Nowadays thousands of people touch the statue to make their wishes come true.

The picture of St. John of Nepomuk Statue, circa 1880 (left).

Statue of the Knight Bruncvik with Coat of Arms of Prague: Bruncvík on the crest of the Charles Bridge pillar on the edge of Kampa Island.

The Sandstone Statue of Bruncvik on the top of the bridge pillar behind the Statuary of St. Vincent of Ferrer and St. Procopius. Beside the statue of Saints Vincent stands a sculpture of Bruncvík above statuary, a mythical knight, who is portrayed helping a lion fight a seven-head dragon. This was sculpted by Ludvík Šimek in 1884 and sponsored by the City of Prague. The knight Bruncvík is holding a golden sword, with a lion laying by his legs. This replaces a statue of Roland, erected in 1502, and intended to remind the passers-by the rights of the Old Towners, especially the right to take tolls and duty. This statue was damaged by the cannon fire when the city was attacked by Swedish forces in 1648. Bruncvík statue was sculpted much later, in 1884.

Bruncvík half body of the statue column at Lapidarium of the National Museum.

Built on a pillar of the Charles Bridge by the citizens of the Old Town as a symbol of the customs privileges they had received. Damaged by shelling in 1648, replaced by a free copy in 1884, later moved to the Lapidarium of the National Museum.

Knight Bruncvik half body, Charles Bridge, Original steel engraving, V. Merklas, 1846 (left).

Bruncvik's little men statue (dating from 16th century) at Lapidarium of the National Museum.

Strange stone marks on the ledge of the pillar of Charles Bridge under the statue of Bruncvík on Charles Bridge. See full article.

Lapidarium of the National Museum, sculptures from Charles Bridge.

Many of the original statues on Prague's Charles Bridge have been moved to the Lapidarium of the National Museum. This is because the original sandstone statues were susceptible to weathering and damage, leading to their replacement with copies on the bridge. The Lapidarium serves as a museum for these original sculptures, preserving them for future generations.

This photo was taken in 1856, left, and damaged in 1890, right. Most beautiful Statue St. Ignatius of Loyola, created by Ferdinand Maxmilián Brokoff (1710-1711), now on display in the Lapidarium of the National Museum in Prague.

Badly damaged: The Saint Ignatius of Loyola statue is no longer on Charles Bridge in Prague because it fell into the Vltava river during the great flood in September 1890. It was replaced with a new statue of Saint Cyril and Methodius.

The statues of "Saints Cyril and Methodius" (left) and "St. Ignatius Loyola" (right).

This new statue was sculpted by Karel Dvořák between 1928 and 1938, and was erected by the Ministry of Education. It portrays the saints Cyril and Methodius (The statue depicts the brothers as missionaries who introduced Christianity to the Slavs, with Cyril holding a book and a cross, symbolizing their devotion and role in spreading Christianity). The original statue of St. Ignatius which stood here, designed by Ferdinand Brokoff in 1711, was displaced by the floods of 1890 and can now be found in the Prague lapidarium.

Statue of Saint Joseph with Jesus on Charles Bridge.

St. Joseph, the fiancé of the Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus, is venerated as the protector of fathers and families and also as the patron saint of craftsmen, especially carpenters, but also engineers, hunters and scholars. Originally, a statue of Jan Brokoff stood here since 1706, but in 1848 it witnessed the revolution and was damaged by artillery fire but replaced by this present statue in 1854. This silent witness can now be seen in the Lapidarium of the National Museum at the Prague Exhibition Grounds.

Statue of Saints John of Matha, Felix of Valois, and Ivan on Charles Bridge.

This Charles Bridge Statue was created in 1714 by Ferdinand Brokoff. It depicts Christians, imprisoned by Ottoman Turks, and the saints who founded the order that was established to free Christians from enslavement.

The statues of Saints Norbert, Wenceslaus, and Sigismund are outdoor sculptures installed on the north side of Charles Bridge in Prague. They were created by Josef Max in 1853, under the patronage of the art-loving abbot of Strahov Monastery, Dr Jeronym Zeidler. The statue described is the third one at its location, following two predecessors. The first, created in 1708 by the Brokof workshop, featured St. Norbert, Beatified Adrian, and James, and was destroyed by the Prussians. The second, a statue of St. Norbert with Angels sculpted by Ignác František Platzer in 1765, is now missing. The third statue was erected in 1853, featuring St. Norbert, along with the statues of St. Wenceslaus and St. Sigismund, and can be found on Charles Bridge in Prague.

Beautiful Baroque Statues on Charles Bridge: St. Anne (M. V. Jäckel, 1707), Saints Barbara, Margaret and Elizabeth (Jan Brokoff, 1707), St. Francis Borgia (F. M. Brokoff, 1710).

A statue depicting the lamentation of Christ, a Pieta, by Jan Brokoff was indeed placed on the Charles Bridge in Prague in 1695. It was later damaged by gunfire during the 1848 Revolution and moved to the yard of the Pod Petřínem Hospital in 1859, both of these angels' wings and two lion statues are now missing. Czech Sculptor Emanuel Max's Pieta, the current one, was then installed in 1859. This Pieta depicts Jesus resting on his mother's lap, with Mary Magdalene on his right and St. John in the middle.

Statue of St. Francis Seraphim: The sculpture of St. Francis of Assisi with two angels by Fr. Preiss from 1708 originally stood on Charles Bridge until 1855 in the place of the current sculpture of St. Francis the Seraphim by E. Max from 1855. The original Preiss sculpture is now divided and the individual statues are installed at the Church of St. Joseph on Republic Square.

Baptism of Jesus by Saint John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Baroque statue by Bohemian sculptor Jan Brokoff (1706) once placed on the Charles Bridge in Prague, now on display in the Lapidarium of the National Museum in Prague. The statue was removed from the Charles Bridge after it was damaged during the Prague Revolution in 1848 and nine years later replaced by a statue of St. John the Baptist by Josef Max.

In 2004, divers accidentally found a missing angel that had fallen into the river during a flood in 1784.

See full articles Vesmir.cz & click here.

The Baroque statue of Saint Wenceslas, surrounded by angels, created by Italian sculptor Ottavio Mosto before 1700, was originally placed on the Charles Bridge in Prague. After being damaged during a flood in 1784, it was removed and is now displayed in the Lapidarium of the National Museum - some of its parts were not retrieved from the river until 2004. After a flood in 1784, the Statue of Saint Ludmila was moved to Charles Bridge from the ramp of Prague Castle.

H. Hillger's 1629 Statuary of the Holy Crucifix and Calvary on Charles Bridge. The golden Hebrew reading "holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts" on the crucifix was added in 1696.

Beautiful bronze statue of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ Calvary on Charles Bridge, Prague.

View of Charles Bridge, drawing by Philip van den Bossche from the 17th Century. The original wooden crucifix was installed at this place soon after 1361 and probably destroyed by the Hussites in 1419. A new crucifix with a wooden corpus was erected in 1629 but was severely damaged by the Swedes towards the end of the Thirty Years' War. This was replaced by another wooden Calvary which, in turn, was replaced with a bronze version in 1657. Bought in Dresden, this crucifix was originally made in 1629 by H. Hillger based upon a design by W. E. Brohn. In 1666, two lead figures were added, but these were replaced in 1861 by the present sandstone statues by Emanuel Max, portraying the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist. The golden hebrew text on the crucifix was added in 1696. It was placed there as punishment for a Prague Jew, Elias Backoffen, who has been convicted of debasing the Holy Cross.

A statuary of St. John the Evangelist depicted looking at Calvary on Charles Bridge.

Charles Bridge at War

The Diorama painting (1891) by Adolf and Karel Liebscher of the Battle of Charles Bridge against the Sweden during the Thirty Years War, Petrin Hill, Prague. In the Battle of Charles Bridge in 1648, an estimated 500 soldiers were killed in the Swedish attack, with 700 wounded. The defending Imperial forces had 219 soldiers killed and 475 wounded.

The bridge was severely damaged by the Swedes in the 17th century. As the end of the Thirty Years’ War finally approached in the year 1648, the Swedes occupied the area on the left bank of the river. As they attempted to enter the city by crossing Charles Bridge, they encountered a lot of resistance and a lot of the fighting happened right on the bridge. During this fight, the flank of the Old Town Bridge Tower facing the river was severely damaged, which is the reason why the elaborate Gothic decorations were removed and it now looks like a plain stone tower. The Charles Bridge survived many historical events, including the Revolutionary Days in 1848 and World War II. Today, the bridge is a popular tourist attraction, visited by millions yearly.

Map of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) Source: International History blog.

The memorial plaque on the Old Town Bridge Tower in Prague commemorates the Battle of Prague in 1648. It is a bronze plaque installed by Jan Křtitel Spinetti between 1650 and 1653. The plaque celebrates the heroism of the Prague citizenry during the siege of the Old Town.

Evolution of uniforms of Austrian (Habsburg) army from 1670 to end of empire in 1918.

In the 1650s, Prague was under the rule of the Habsburg Monarchy. Specifically, the city was part of the Kingdom of Bohemia, which was in turn a crown land of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburgs. The Habsburgs also ruled the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was formed later, in 1867. The Habsburg dynasty ruled for a significant period in European history, from the 13th century to 1918. Czechoslovakia became independent in 1918 following the end of World War I and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The heads of twelve convicts were put on long poles at the Old Town Bridge Tower on Charles Bridge for ten years as a deterrent and warning.

One tower was once decorated with 12 heads of executed revolutionaries. The “Battle of White Mountain” happened in the year 1620 and was an important event early on in the Thirty Years’ War. An army of Bohemians and mercenaries was crushed by the much stronger army of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II. The event ended in 27 leaders of the anti-Habsburg revolt being executed on June 21, 1621, and some their chopped-off heads were put on display on the Old Town Bridge Tower. They were removed after ten years, secretly buried in an unknown place and they have not been found yet. This is similar to how the heads of executed criminals were spiked on top of the Southwark gatehouse of London Bridge in the early 17th century.

The Revolution barricade at the Bridge Tower in the old town of Prague on 16 June 1848. In the Prague Uprising of 1848, the Czech insurgents fought against the Habsburg military and the reactionary Prince Windischgrätz, the commander of the Austrian troops. The Charles bridge escaped unharmed from the cannonade, but some of the statues were damaged. About 43 people died during the fighting. On June 18, a state of siege was declared throughout Prague and rioters began to be arrested.

View of Charles Bridge from Kampa Island, painting by Vincenc Morstadt, 1830.

Prague Floods

The flood of 1890 on the Vltava River destroyed three arches and a pillar of Prague's Charles Bridge, killing several people and sweeping away statues. The damage was primarily caused by large logs and wooden rafts carried by the floodwaters.

A historical image shows the damaged Charles Bridge after the flood of 1890.

Multiple floods have damaged the bridge over the centuries. Charles Bridge has been damaged multiple times by floods, starting just 3 decades after its completion in 1432 when a flood destroyed 3 pillars. One of the most severe floods happened between September 2 and 5 of the year 1890, when large amounts of debris from upstream got stuck and started leaning against the bridge. It resulted in 3 arches being washed away and two statues of St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis Xavier, sculpted by Ferdinand Maxmilian Brokoff, fell into the Vltava river. Repairing the damage took 2 years, cost 665,000 crowns, and the bridge opened again in 1892 but two statues lost in the river were recovered in 1901.

Copper engraving by F. Erban, depicting the flood in Prague in 1784. In the foreground, massive ice floes drift toward the Charles Bridge. There was a guardhouse on Charles Bridge in Prague. Specifically, it was located on one of the bridge's pillars. A major flood in 1784 damaged the bridge and swept away the guardhouse, resulting in the loss of four soldiers. The guardhouse was also referred to as a watch-house.

Restoration of Charles Bridge in Prague, damaged during the flood on 28 February 1784.

The 1784 flood caused significant damage to Charles Bridge in Prague, particularly to its pillars. While the arches did not collapse, the bridge was severely damaged, necessitating restrictions on traffic and repairs, including the replacement of the original stairway to Kampa Island. The flood, occurring in late February, was characterized by rising water levels, ice jams, and the debris from broken rafts and ice trapping the bridge. It even swept away a military guardhouse on one of the bridge's pillars, resulting in the loss of four soldiers' lives. The original statue of St. Wenceslas between two angels was damaged in the 1784 flood and was eventually replaced by the statue of St. Ludmila.

After a flood in 1784: Repairs at that time were carried out using traditional medieval techniques – coffer dams were built around the damaged pillars, the foundations were reinforced with new oak piles, and so-called millstones were laid on them.

Charles Bridge in the Movies (VIDEOS)

Lesser Town Bridge Tower "AMADEUS" (1984) A shot from Miloš Forman’s film ‘Amadeus', set in Vienna, but shot in Prague. The Charles Bridge has featured in many movies, including "Spider-Man: Far From Home" (2019), "Mission: Impossible" (1996), "Kafka" (1991), "The Fall" (2006), "XXX" (2002), "The Omen" (2006), and "Medieval" (2022), and "Operation: Daybreak" (1975), and "Anthropoid" (2016), and "Descarrilados" (2021).

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Charles Bridge Museum

Diorama of Charles Bridge construction.

If you wish to learn more about the intriguing Charles Bridge then head over to the Charles Bridge Museum. This museum is a must for any lover of history and architecture. Conveniently located next to the Charles Bridge on the Old Town side this museum showcases the historical sight and provides interesting information about the building of the symbol of Prague and the people involved. The Knights of the Cross, who have a long history of association with Charles Bridge, provided a former monastery hospital as a venue for the museum. The grand opening of the ceremony took place in June of 2007. If you wish to explore more of the city, go on a Prague Venice boat tour and with your ticket you can visit the Charles Bridge Museum for free.

The construction method is clearly shown in the model located in the Charles Bridge Museum. The construction of Prague Bridge started 15 years after the destruction of Judith’s Bridge by floods in 1357. Plans, finances, and materials needed to be collected first.

illustration of Charles bridge construction. Charles Bridge on left and Judith Bridge on right, painting by Tomáš Honz. Judith Bridge was about five meters lower than Charles Bridge.

Medieval Workshop shown in the Charles Bridge Museum.

Medieval Treadwheel cranes were also used in the construction of the bridge arches. A treadwheel crane is a human-powered lifting device that uses a large wheel where people walk inside to turn a central shaft, which in turn lifts heavy loads. The rotation of the wheel is connected to a pulley system that raises or lowers the load. (See Video How Treadwheel Crane works)

How Bridges, Churches and Castles were built in the Middle Ages. Source: Q-files

Material for Bridge: The bridge is built of solid sandstone blocks, which are connected by sandstone stucco mortar and hydraulic lime. The core of the bridge was built after the water was drained out, but still below the level of the Vltava river. Original gothic oak wood piles together with milestones were discovered during the repairs at the end of the 19th century.

Medieval builders of Charles Bridge also added various organic products to the mortar, such as milk, beer, wine, or even eggs. There is a legend saying that eggs were used to enrich the mortar used to bind the stone blocks to make it harder. Although the saying cannot be verified, modern laboratory tests have indeed proved inorganic and organic ingredients to the mortar. Later, the use of eggs in Charles Bridge mortar was confirmed.

In 2008, the mystery was unraveled, and the egg story did indeed make sense. During renovation work, scientists from VSCHT, the Prague Institute of Chemical Technology, took samples of the original mortar. They were delighted to find that their analysis showed that the fourteenth-century mortar contained egg proteins.

What was the Bizarre Ingredient in Prague's Charles Bridge? (VIDEO)

The total weight of the bridge material is estimated to be about one hundred thousand tons! The stone used for the construction of the Charles Bridge primarily came from quarries near Prague, including locations such as Kamenné Žehrovice, Horoušany, Kostelec, and Brandýs nad Labem. Additionally, recycled stones from the ruined Judith Bridge were also incorporated into the structure.

Egg Festival, on Charles Bridge, April 13, 2025. The Egg Festival on Charles Bridge traditionally opens the Prague legend of hard-boiled eggs. It is an experience for locals, adults and children, as well as for tourists in Prague. Since 2015, a group of egg carriers has been walking from Velvary to Prague with baskets full of eggs. Its goal is to commemorate the legend of how the people of Velvary contributed to the construction of the bridge in the 14th century with hard-boiled eggs. See photo gallery!

How a 14th-century bridge in Prague was built. An animated video shows the building of Prague’s Charles Bridge in the 14th century: 45 years of construction in 3 minutes.

Charles Bridge Prague. The Craftsmanship of Bridge Construction. Click Subtitles & Settings/Closed Caption with English. (VIDEO)

The Charles Bridge is not the oldest bridge in Czechia

The Pisek Stone Bridge, the oldest preserved early Gothic bridge in Pisek, Czechia.

Due to its fame and popularity, many people think that the Charles Bridge is the oldest bridge in the Czechia. However, the Písek Stone Bridge actually holds this title, which was probably built during the 3rd quarter of the 13th century. On the other hand, the Charles Bridge is the second oldest bridge in the country (and the oldest that crosses the Vltava). Obviously, it is much shorter than the famous bridge from Prague: 109.75 m (360 ft) vs. 516 m (1,693 ft). The Písek Stone bridge is decorated with copies of Baroque statues – St. John of Nepomuk with Angels, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Anne and the Calvary.

Judith Bridge, the first stone bridge

King Vladislav II had Prague's first stone bridge built in the years 1158 to 1172. His wife had urged him to build the bridge and it was given her name, Judith. It was around 514 metres long, seven metres wide at its broadest and had 27 low arches. In 1253 administration of the bridge was taken over by the Knights of the Cross. Two thirds of the structure was destroyed by a flood in February 1342, necessitating the building of a replacement - Charles Bridge.

The remains of some of the arches of the Judith Bridge can today be seen in the basements of buildings, while the foundations of some pillars are still at the bottom of the river. The smaller of the towers on the Malá Strana side of Charles Bridge was also part of the bridge's predecessor. A sculpture of a bearded man in the wall of today's Charles Bridge is said to be a portrait of the builder of the Judith Bridge, and serves as a measure of the water level in the Vltava. One of the Judith Bridge's towers is part of a former monastery which today houses a museum dedicated to Charles Bridge.

In the basement, part of the masonry of Judith's Bridge (dating from 1158) can be seen today in the exhibition of the Charles Bridge Museum.

Fragments of stone paving made of dark gray diabase on the ground floor of the House on Judith's Bridge. Source: Judith Bistro

It's a bit unbelievable, but the remains of this predecessor of today's Charles Bridge can still be seen in several places in Prague. The bridge dates back to the 12th century. Perhaps the most famous preserved monument is in the café under the Charles Bridge on the Lesser Town side of the bridge tower. The building in which the café is located boasts the inscription Judith Bistro. Here you can walk right along the cobblestones and dream for a moment of time long gone.

Judith's bridge stone inside Judith Bistro: Its remains can currently be seen in the cellar of house in Malá Strana, Prague.

The medieval Bradáč "Bearded Man" relief still serves as a clever flood warning marker. – unknown author. This relief is located on the embankment wall between Charles Bridge and the Křižovnické Square. It was originally part of Judith Bridge. It was removed from there and walled up in a new place at the same height. Bradáč's head was used by the people of Prague to measure water. Depending on whether the water rose to the height of the chin, nose or eyes, they knew how far the water in the city would reach.

Water marks of selected floods on the Vltava River in Prague projected onto the current position of Bradáč and in relation to the recorded flood level of August 2002. Source: Researchgate

Vineyard Column with statue of Saint Wenceslas in Křižovnické Square. Another place where you can walk on the cobblestones from Judith's Bridge is in the right corner of the facade of the Roman Catholic Church of St. Francis of Assisi. There is a vine column with a statue of St. Wenceslas and under it are about a hundred paving stones made of different rocks and sizes. The Vine Column refers to the information that this saint himself prepared the bread and wine for Mass. This Baroque column, created by sculptor Jan Jiří Bendl in 1676.

Charles Bridge construction model with Judith Bridge on the right. Model (white) of the Original building of the Monastery of the Crusaders with Red Star and Judith Bridge.

Judith Harbor, as the only harbor directly on the Royal Route, is located under the arch of the last surviving arch of Judith Bridge and the zero arch of Charles Bridge.

Dark red blocks from Judith's Bridge used secondarily in the pillar of Charles Bridge.

In the footsteps of Judith's Bridge 2 part (VIDEO) Click Subtitles & Settings/Closed Caption with English.

In the footsteps of Judith's Bridge 1 part (VIDEO) Click Subtitles & Settings/Closed Caption with English.

This stamp shows the Charles Bridge with a view of the Castle in all its glory. (1955).

Medieval World: Culture & Conflict: Charles IV | King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor - 1316 -1378. His funeral procession over the Charles Bridge in Prague in 1378 was a momentous event, including thousands of members of the imperial court and society at large. A knight carried the emperor’s helmet and gold crown, and a sword pointed to the ground.

PRAGUE, PROTECTORATE OF BOHEMIA AND MORAVIA. An elaborate funeral held in Prague on 7 June 1942, Heydrich's coffin on gun carriage. The train of mourners goes over the Charles bridge in Prague. Reinhard Heydrich was a high-ranking Nazi official and a key architect of the Holocaust. He was assassinated in 1942 by Czech and Slovak resistance fighters in Prague. See Funeral of Reinhard Heydrich full video.

From an old advertisement for Škoda cars. Cars were allowed on Prague’s historic Charles Bridge until the mid-1960s.

Charles Bridge became a pedestrian bridge in the 1960s. The traffic across the bridge really started to increase in the early 20th century, and because the bridge is relatively wide, it allowed for even trams to cross it. The first tram crossed the bridge in the year 1905, effectively replacing the horse lane. Busses started crossing the bridge in the year 1908 as well, resulting in further damage to the bridge. Serious repairs were needed between 1965 and 1978 and it was during this period that it was decided to ban all vehicular traffic.

Dumbest Tourists

Tourist fined for driving over iconic Charles Bridge in Prague. (2022) VIDEO.

A tourist has been fined €81 ($121.43 CAD) for driving along the iconic pedestrian-only Charles Bridge in Prague.

Four Foreign tourists climbed the statue on Charles Bridge. Police officers came to get them. (VIDEO)

The Czech Monument Protection Authority imposed a fine on the city of Prague, and UNESCO also launched an investigation because the Charles Bridge and the Old Town are listed as World Heritage Sites.

Drunk American breaks off saber from Charles Bridge statue. (VIDEO)

Prague police officers have arrested a young American man who broke the saber off a statue of a Turk on Charles Bridge. He said he liked the bridge and wanted to take something as a souvenir. Footage from security cameras on Charles Bridge.

Charles Bridge graffiti vandals arrested in Prague - expats.cz

In a related case from 2019, two German tourists vandalized the bridge, leading to significant legal repercussions. One of the offenders, Benjamin Wittig, unsuccessfully appealed to the Constitutional Court after receiving a suspended one-year prison sentence, a CZK 100,000 fine, and a five-year expulsion from the Czechia.

Punishment for Arabic inscription on Charles Bridge: Court deports foreigner for 3 years. And fines him.

There are lots of small inscriptions on Charles Bridge, mostly scribbled on by foreigners.

Caring for the Charles Bridge? It's also an endless fight against vandals.

Watch Live: Watch the current situation on Charles Bridge thanks to this webcam.

More to study about Charles Bridge and Medieval!

Prague Floods - Tour of Prague River and Bridges (Video)

Stone Masons Photographed in the Olden Times (Video)

Ruling Europe From Prague: The Story of Charles IV

The Charles Bridge Museum & See the pictures

How To Build A Medieval Castle From Scratch

The dog and the legend of Charles Bridge

List of statues on Charles Bridge & here