The Charles Bridge

The construction of the Charles Bridge began in 1357, and shortly after the beginning of the 15th century the work was essentially completed. Today, the bridge is adorned by 30 stone statues, and there is a tower on each side. Musicians and street performers entertain the nearly 30,000 people who cross the bridge each day, and painters and artisans also offer their work for sale.

Charles IV's numbers game

The construction of the Charles Bridge was commissioned by Emperor Charles IV, who also personally laid the foundation stone. Because Charles was a great believer in numerology, the date and time of this event were to consist of ascending and descending odd numbers. So, according to legend, Charles chose the ninth day of the seventh month (July) as the date and 5:31 a.m. as the time for laying the foundation stone, in addition to the year 1357. Thus the sequence of numbers 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1 was formed. As master builder Karl won the German Peter Parler, whose father Heinrich had already been involved in the construction of Cologne Cathedral. The work on the bridge took 45 years, which is why Charles, who died in 1378, did not live to see its inauguration.

From zero to 30 sculptures

Initially, there were no statues on the Charles Bridge. It was only in the course of time that the structure was adorned with sculptures. The first was a wooden crucifix placed on the bridge in 1629. Most of the statues were erected between 1683 and 1714 and represent various saints. The sculpture of St. John of Nepomuk is particularly popular with tourists. On it, St. John is stroking a dog; according to legend, doing the same brings good luck. As the ornate sculptures were exposed to permanent danger from floods and vandals, work began in 1965 to replace them with copies. The originals, most of which are more than 300 years old, are now in Prague's National Museum.

The towers of Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge is also famous for its two towers. The Old Town Bridge Tower on the eastern side was built between 1370 and 1380 and is about 40 meters high. The tower is decorated with various works, including statues of Charles IV, his son Wenceslas and St. Vitus. In addition, the façade features the coats of arms of all the countries that belonged to the Bohemian Kingdom in the mid-14th century. Tourists can climb the tower and enjoy the view from the top. On the west side of the Charles Bridge stands the Lesser Town Bridge Tower, which at around 30 metres high is slightly smaller than its counterpart at the other end of the bridge. Actually, the structure consists of two towers, whereby one of them is even older than the Charles Bridge. It is, in fact, a remnant of the Judith Bridge, which already crossed the Vltava in the twelfth century and was destroyed during a flood in 1342. However, the Judith Tower was rebuilt at the end of the 16th century. The newer part of the Lesser Town Bridge Tower was built in the mid-15th century and can also be climbed by visitors. The two towers are connected by a wall, and the gate through the wall forms the entrance to Charles Bridge.