Charles' Bridge
The Charles' Bridge in Prague is a Gothic stone bridge that crosses the Vltava river, connecting the Old Town with Mala Strana. It is considered among the most astonishing civil Gothic style structures in the world. The construction of the Charles' Bridge began at the middle of the 14th century, by architect Petr Parler who also designed the Gothic St Vitus cathedral. It was built under the auspices of Czech King and Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. In charge of the construction was architect Petr Parler 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.
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Built from Bohemian sandstone and, claims a legend, eggs to enrich the mortar, the bridge is supported by 16 arches shielded by ice guards. Each end of the bridge is dominated by towers, three in total, accessible by the public for a view of Prague. Thirty Baroque statues and statuaries were added to the bridge on either side, in the 17th century. The most popular is that of St. John of Nepomuk, a Czech martyr saint who was executed by being thrown into Vltava from the bridge. Touching his statue is supposed to bring good luck and ensure one's return to Prague. Other statues illustrate saints ans patron saints venerated at the time, as well as the Holy Crucifix and Calvary. The sculptures are artworks of prominent sculptors such as Matthias Braun, Jan Brokoff, Michael Joseph and Ferdinand Maximillian.
Disastrous floods as well as battles have left the bridge almost undamaged. However, after a flood in 1980, repairs had to be undertaken, such as bolstering the pillows and replacing stones in the bridge walls.
The Charles Bridge is a must see for tourists, architecture, art or photography enthusiasts, due to its beautiful perspective views . It features a beautiful sunset view of the fully lit Prague castle on the hill, as well as numerous souvenir kiosks and booths with jewelry, decorative objects, paintings and drawings. One can have their picture drawn by Czech artists. The bridge is crowded with people practically all day long.
