Hello dear friends. I will tell you about a beautiful Wednesday when we visited Charles Bridge. As we arrived at the square right next to the famous Charles Bridge I felt a great excitement within me. Despite having heard about and seen the bridge from a distance before this was my first opportunity to visit it. The bridge gates proudly rose along the waterfront presenting an inviting appearance.
In the same square there stands a monument dedicated to Czech ruler Charles I. Just behind it, you'll find the entrance to a beautiful Catholic church known as the Church of St. Francis.
The building right next to it is the Academy of Art, Architecture and Design. This is an old building dating back to 1882. It currently serves as a state university providing education in the field of arts.
The gates also represent a tower known as the Old Town Bridge Tower. On it, you'll find statues of Czech kings Charles IV and Wenceslas IV. Additionally, the sculptures of the patron saints of Czech lands are also depicted.
The information panels provided us with more detailed insights. We learned that the bridge was initially started during the reign of Charles I in the year 1342. It was called the Prague Bridge until 1870 when it was renamed in honor of the 12th-century king who laid its first stone.
In fact there was already a bridge here in 1172, but during Charles' rule nearly 200 years later, it was completely destroyed. Hence the decision was made to construct a new bridge almost from scratch. The first bridge served for 200 years while the second one stood for about 700 years. It seems to me that even modern structures might not endure for such a long time.
We saw various sculptures on the bridge. They are among the prominent features of this enchanting structure. They mostly have religious themes and were created for different reasons at different times. The sculptures are mostly in black color, adding a gloomy atmosphere in the Gothic style, which suits the overall theme. You can feel a reflection of some form of tragedy in every detail.
Tthe famous Czech river Vltava brings a sense of peace. And it is believed that making a wish on Charles Bridge helps in its fulfillment. I completely forgot about this during the walk, so I couldn't verify the accuracy of this claim 😊
If you look to the left through the triangular-roofed houses you can see the Old Town Water Tower. Yes the roof shape is quite unusual. This tower supplied water to the city's inhabitants for five centuries. Water was pumped from the Vltava River through a water wheel in the tower and then distributed to Prague's homes and fountains through pipes.
The engineering projects undertaken by people in the past are very impressive. Nowadays even simple things like this seem to affect me more than the production of a GMO corn. Perhaps this implies that living without water and sewage is challenging.
I felt as if I were looking at illustrations from popular fairy tales by Andersen or the Grimm Brothers. Walking through these streets you feel like you're somewhere deep in your childhood, in the times when you still believed in miracles. I can't remember anything that made me feel this way before.
The easiest way to reach Charles Bridge is by tram. Nearby, you can find the Staroměstská and Karlovy lázně tram stops, where trams number 17 and 18 stop. On the other side, there's the Malostranská tram stop, where trams number 1, 8, 12, 18, 20, 22, and 91 pass.
Metro stations are also located based on the same principle (actually close to tram stops). On the east bank there's the Staroměstská metro station while on the west bank, you'll find the Malostranská station. Both stations are part of the green metro line (Line A). From our experience I can tell you that Staré Město is closer to the bridge and Malá Strana is also nearby.
I'm happy to share these beautiful memories. It was a magical experience for me. I hope that one day you'll also have the chance to visit this enchanting bridge.