Charles Bridge is one of the most famous landmarks in Czech Republic. According to
statistics, almost all tourists that come to Czech Republic have possibly
crossed the bridge. Unlike other bridges in the world, this bridge has a big
significance to the people in Czech Republic.
Charles
Bridge can be found in the capital of Czech Republic in Prague. It connected
the Old Town and the Lesser Town. The bridge is 516 meters long, 9.5 meters
wide, 13 meters high, and it stands on 15 pillars. According to history, the
bridge was originally named as "Stone Bridge" but now it is named in
honor of King Charles IV. The bridge was built after the previous bridge
“Judith Bridge” that has been destroyed by a flood. It is said that the king
consulted a numerologist to determine the most auspicious time to begin the
construction of the bridge which is July 9, 1357, at exactly 5:31 am. It took
almost half a century to finish it. Until 1841, it was the only bridge over the
Vlatava river.
Crossing the bridge, you will find a lot of
baroque statues. It has a total of 30 statues on the bridge. Each statue has
its own stories and one of the famous statues in the bridge is St John of
Nepomuck. According to stories, he is the priest assigned to hear the
confession of the queen. One time, the king asks St John to tell him what the
queen confesses because he is suspecting that the queen is hiding something
from him but St John did not tell him the confession of the queen, so the king
tortured him and threw his body in the river. The location where St John’s
statue stands is the exact place where his body was thrown. According to some
stories, if you rub the right picture in the statue, your wish will come true
within 1 year and 1 day as long as you keep it a secret.
The statue of St John has 5 stars in his head because
according to stories, the person who discovered his body in the water saw him
with 5 stars in his head.
Charles Bridge is not only a way
to cross the river but it is also a destination. It offers a beautiful view of Prague Castle and the cathedral. Along the bridge, you can also hear a lot
of live music from their talented musicians, buy souvenirs, artists who can
paint your portrait, and photographers who shoot good photos of couples who
want to get the romantic vibes of the city.
If you want to cross along the
bridge, you can join our Into the East Europe package and experience this magnificent landmark.
Blog Contributed by: Allenie
Leonoza
Photos by: Rakso Travel
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