Charles Bridge

The importance of the bridge

The bridge was very important for Prague’s citizens as it replaced very old Judith Bridge which was built in the 12th century and it was badly damaged by the flood in the 14th century.

The name of the bridge

The name of the Charles Bridge was originally Kamenný most of the Prague Bridge, however, it was named after the Czech king Charles IV in 1870. It was not important only for the people who lived in Prague as it used to be the connection between Prague Castle and Old Town or neighbouring areas. So that it was an important trade route between Eastern and Western parts of the whole Europe.

Details about the bridge

The Charles Bridge is 10 metres wide and rest on sixteen arches. This is being protected by three bridge towers (one is on the Old Town side and the rest is on the Lesser Quarter side). The one who stands on the Old Town is seen as one of the most amazing civil gothic-style buildings around the world. We can find 30 statues or statuaries mostly in baroque style which were originally erected here around the year 1700. However, they were replaced by replicas as they were damaged or nearly damaged.

20th century and the bridge

At the beginning of the 20th century the bridge was heavily weighed by heavy traffic as the last horse line on the bridge came there on 15th of May 1905. After that there were electric trams and buses. At the end of the Great War, a barricade was erected in the Old Town bridge tower gateway and repairs were made between 1965 and 1978.