Charles Bridge, Prague

Charles Bridge spans the Vltava as Prague’s oldest surviving river crossing. Its Gothic design belongs to the medieval language of pointed arches and soaring vaults. Building began under Charles the Fourth in 1357, replacing Judith Bridge after floodwater destroyed that earlier crossing; the work reached completion in 1402.

Petr Parléř is credited as its architect. The stone structure stretches for 516 metres and carries sixteen arches, with bridge towers framing the route at either end. Notice the sculptural procession along the parapets: thirty statues and groups, largely made in the Baroque manner, were added across the era around 1700.

For centuries this was Prague’s essential link between the castle district and the old town, helping place the city on trade routes across Europe. The name Charles Bridge only became customary around 1870.