Charles Bridge
Charles Bridge features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Prague. Give it roughly ~30 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type bridge
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Prague Prague guide
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About Charles Bridge
A Gothic stone bridge over the Vltava, lined with soot-dark Baroque saints and crossed by endless crowds, linking Prague's Old Town to Malá Strana beneath the watching castle.
Charles Bridge is a Gothic stone bridge across the Vltava, commissioned by Charles IV after a flood destroyed the earlier Judith Bridge in 1342. Work began in 1357 and continued into the early fifteenth century, and is traditionally attributed to the workshop of Peter Parléř. Around 516 metres long and carried on sixteen arches, it was the only bridge across the river in Prague until 1841, guarded at each end by fortified towers.
The balustrade carries about thirty Baroque statues and statuary groups erected mainly between 1683 and 1714, though nearly all are now replicas, with the originals preserved in museums such as the National Museum's Lapidarium. The most famous is Saint John of Nepomuk, the first statue placed on the bridge, a priest drowned in the Vltava in 1393 during a political struggle later wrapped in pious legend.
Did you know? Legend says Charles IV laid the foundation stone at 5:31 on 9 July 1357, so the digits form an odd-number palindrome: 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1. The start year is documented; the tidy minute is later romance.
How long is a visit to Charles Bridge?
Set aside roughly ~30 min for Charles Bridge. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Charles Bridge worth your time?
Charles Bridge is among the 35 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Prague, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Prague
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Charles Bridge and read more:
Day 1 of the Prague in 2 days itinerary →Day 1 of the Prague in 3 days itinerary →
Updated:
Hear the story of Charles Bridge
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