Prague is full of amazing and valuable landmarks, but Charles Bridge is definitely among the oldest and most beautiful.

This ancient city bridge crossing the Vltava is the second oldest in the Czech Republic. It was built in 1357 during the reign of King Charles IV and replaced the old Judith Bridge which had suffered in a severe flood 15 years before. The construction was guided by German-Bohemian architect Peter Parler and lasted almost fifty years. The works ended with the bridge opening in 1402.

Charles Bridge was made of stone with a length of 516 meters, a width of 9,5 meters and a height of 13 meters. It was the only bridge crossing the Vltava in the city until 1841.

At first, the structure was called Stone Bridge or Prague Bridge. In 1870, it changed the name to the current one.

From afar, Charles Bridge has a conspicuous appearance due to the Gothic style. There are sightly towers on both sides of the building and decorative lamps and thirty marvelous sculptures on the bridge itself.

One of the most intriguing figures is a statue of John of Nepomuk, which is of great importance for the Czech people. Many believe that touching this sculpture brings luck.

From the artistic standpoint, a statue of Saints Vincent Ferrer and Procopius, created by Czech sculptor Ferdinand Brokoff in 1712, is among the most significant. Behind is a pillar with a sculpture of the famous mythical Bohemian knight, Bruncvik, with a golden sword and a lion at his feet. According to legend, the brave knight helped the lion fight with a giant dragon, so they became friends.

Perhaps the most valuable artwork on Charles Bridge is a statue of St. Luthgard made by Austrian-born Czech sculptor Matthias Braun in 1710. It depicts crucified Christ leaning towards St. Luitgarda, the blind sister of the Benedictines.