Charles Bridge
| by Lucie Rusarova | October 13, 2008
The construction of the magical bridge was started by Master Otto and continued by King Charles’ favourite constructor and architect, Peter Parler. The bridge was finished in 1402 and until 1870 was called The Stone or Prague Bridge. Originally, the Stone Bridge was supposed to host medieval tournaments and serve as major commerce link between the Vltava banks.
Legendary Charles Bridge
The construction of the bridge as we can see it today dates from the reign of Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor. It is said that egg yolks were used to strengthen the mortar used to bind the stone blocks. Although the saying cannot be verified, modern laboratory tests have indeed proved inorganic and organic ingredients in the mortar.
As peaceful and romantic it may seem the Vltava River has not always been as calm as it looks today. It is fury, combined with the power of heavy rains have many times flooded and destroyed the bridges people built over it. Charles Bridge is no exception. It has many times been the victim of floods and natural or human created calamities. Nevertheless, it is still standing and hopefully it will remain a symbol of Prague far after we are gone.
In the place that Charles Bridge is standing today once stood a wooden bridge, destroyed by floods in the 11th century. In its place, in 1172, Wenceslas I. ordered the building of the Judith Bridge (after his wife’s name), the first stone bridge to connect the Vltava banks. The Judith Bridge collapsed in a flood in 1342.
Charles Bridge is and always was the most important connection between Old Town and Lesser Quarter (Prague Castle). In the history this connection made Prague the important trade route from east to west Europe and back.
Charles Bridge today
The Charles Bridge is 516 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide. It is protected by three bridge towers. Two of them are on the Lesser Quarter side and the third one is 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, erected around 1700. Now the original statues are kept in the Lapidary. The statues on the Charles Bridge are replicas.
During the night Charles Bridge is a quiet place. But during the day it changes its face into a very busy place, with painters, owners of kiosks and other traders alongside numerous tourists crossing the bridge.
Charles Bridge in today´s culture
You can see Charles Bridge for example in the music video Never Tear Us Apart by INXS, in music video Numb by Linkin Park and in music video Diamonds from Sierra Leone by Kanye West. The action films Mission: Impossible and XXX was filmed on Charles Bridge too.
Legendary Charles Bridge
The construction of the bridge as we can see it today dates from the reign of Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor. It is said that egg yolks were used to strengthen the mortar used to bind the stone blocks. Although the saying cannot be verified, modern laboratory tests have indeed proved inorganic and organic ingredients in the mortar.
As peaceful and romantic it may seem the Vltava River has not always been as calm as it looks today. It is fury, combined with the power of heavy rains have many times flooded and destroyed the bridges people built over it. Charles Bridge is no exception. It has many times been the victim of floods and natural or human created calamities. Nevertheless, it is still standing and hopefully it will remain a symbol of Prague far after we are gone.
In the place that Charles Bridge is standing today once stood a wooden bridge, destroyed by floods in the 11th century. In its place, in 1172, Wenceslas I. ordered the building of the Judith Bridge (after his wife’s name), the first stone bridge to connect the Vltava banks. The Judith Bridge collapsed in a flood in 1342.
Charles Bridge is and always was the most important connection between Old Town and Lesser Quarter (Prague Castle). In the history this connection made Prague the important trade route from east to west Europe and back.
Charles Bridge today
The Charles Bridge is 516 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide. It is protected by three bridge towers. Two of them are on the Lesser Quarter side and the third one is 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, erected around 1700. Now the original statues are kept in the Lapidary. The statues on the Charles Bridge are replicas.
During the night Charles Bridge is a quiet place. But during the day it changes its face into a very busy place, with painters, owners of kiosks and other traders alongside numerous tourists crossing the bridge.
Charles Bridge in today´s culture
You can see Charles Bridge for example in the music video Never Tear Us Apart by INXS, in music video Numb by Linkin Park and in music video Diamonds from Sierra Leone by Kanye West. The action films Mission: Impossible and XXX was filmed on Charles Bridge too.
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