Print this article  Recommend to a friend

Charles Bridge is a stone Gothic bridge that connects the Old Town and Malá Strana It was actually called the Stone Bridge (Kamenný most) during the first several centuries Its construction was commissioned by Czech king and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and began in 1357 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 egg yolks were mixed into the mortar to strengthen the construction of the bridge

Charles Bridge is one of the many monuments that were built during Charles' reign but it is not the first bridge that ever connected the Prague banks of the Vltava Another bridge used to stand in its place - the Judith Bridge, which was the first stone bridge over the river

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 egg yolks must not have been such a bad idea

There is a tower standing on each end of the bridge Both the Staroměstská věž on the Old Town end and the Malostranská věž on the Malá Strana end can be climbed for a view of Prague and the bridge from above

Baroque statues (a total of 30) began to be placed on either side of Charles Bridge in the 17th century Now many of them are copies and the originals can be seen in the Lapidarium (see Prague Museums) The most popular statue is probably the one of St John of Nepomuk, a Czech martyr saint who was executed during the reign of Wenceslas IV by  being  thrown  into  the Vltava  from  the  bridge  The  plaque on the statue has been polished to a shine by countless people having touched it over the centuries Touching the statue is supposed to bring good luck and ensure your return to Prague