Charles Bridge in Prague, the great attraction in the medieval city

I can tell you that the Charles Bridge is more than a monument to visit and you will see that It is going to become a nerve center of your trip to Prague.

Many of the best photos taken in Prague are from this bridge with so much history that we are going to show you.

The Charles Bridge is undoubtedly one of the corners of Prague that we liked the most on our trip.

It not only unites the two shores of the Vltava river, but This historic bridge, currently for pedestrian use, links the two major tourist areas of Prague, the  Old City, Stare Mesto, and the neighborhood of Little Country.

It is such a large monument that even upon arriving at the city it can be seen from the plane standing out among the rest of the bridges.

And of course a bridge of these characteristics is full of little stories that make it up.

Throughout it and throughout the day, in addition to the sculptures, we find all kinds of “entertainments“: street musicians, mimes, craft stalls, etc.

If you spend several days in the city you will realize that each moment is unique and this place varies greatly depending on the time you visit it.

But I'm going to break it down for you a little more.

Charles Bridge in Prague

Built in the year 1357 , was conceived as part of the Royal Street and owes its name to Emperor Charles IV, who was the one who commissioned its construction.

The bridge has a gothic structure with 15 pillars. Throughout it there are 30 statues, two per pillar, made by the best sculptors of the time, and with a religious theme.

And at the ends two different entrances to the bridge dominated by two imperial entrance doors with towers built in different times.

If you come, you arrive by walking through the alleys of the medieval city, suddenly you will find yourself facing a large medieval tower, it is the Old Town Tower ( Staremostska mostecka once, in Czech).

This tower is located on the east side of the aforementioned Bridge of Carlos, a work promoted by whoever king of bohemian y Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV, and whose birth in 2016 marked 700 years.

While access to Mala Strana neighborhood is done by Mala Strana Towers, built in a different era, known as Judith Tower, Romanesque style, and the other, Gothic style which I will tell you about later.

Prague Old Town Tower

La Old Town Tower It is considered one of the most beautiful towers in the city of Prague. It was built by order of the aforementioned king Charles IV by the same architect who designed the Charles Bridge.

De Gothic style and with 43 meters high, the east façade of the Prague Old Town Tower which was part of the defensive wall of the city, is profusely decorated with shields of the countries that made up the Czech kingdom during that time,

Also on this façade you can see different statues, among other characters and saints, of the man himself. Charles IV, of his predecessor, Wenceslas IV, Y de St Vitus.

The west façade, the one you will see from the same Bridge of Carlos, was successively damaged in different battles over the centuries, so it lacks the decoration that it shows on the east side.

The visiting hours of the Old Town Tower They are from 10 in the morning to 10 at night, although only in summer, since at other times of the year it closes in advance, for example, at 17 p.m. in winter.

From the top of the tower you can see beautiful views of Charles Bridge.

It is very worth going up although we must warn that when we went up it seemed like a short but intense climb.

Mala Strana Towers from Charles Bridge

When you go from the Prague Old Town in the direction of Prague Castle, At the end of Bridge of Carlos you will find two adjacent towers known as the towers of Little Country (or in English, Lesser Town),

After crossing under their portico you will enter the neighborhood of that name, specifically, along the beautiful Mostecka Street.

Initially you may be surprised by the asymmetry of the Mala Strana Towers, both in height and architectural style. This has an obvious explanation: they are towers built at different times.

The oldest is the smallest tower.

It is a reminiscence of judith bridge, a stone bridge that was built in the year 1172 to replace the original wooden bridge that crossed the río Moldava. But this bridge collapsed in 1342 due to a flood.

Romanesque Judith Tower

La Judith's Tower, architectural style Romanesque, has three floors and a height of 29 meters. In 1591 it was covered by a Renaissance style roof.

Joined to this tower by a bridge with an arcade you will see the tallest tower, which is Gothic in style and has a design quite similar to the one. Old Town Tower, on the opposite side of Charles Bridge.

La Gothic tower of Mala Strana It was built in 1464 and has a height of 43 meters.

On its façade, attention is drawn to the open spaces where statues similar to those published in the church are supposed to have been placed. Old Town Tower.

Currently, there is a tourist office in this tower, and you can climb to the top of it to see the panoramic views of Charles Bridge and the Old Town of Prague. This is another of the numerous viewpoints that you will find in the Czech capital.

Opening hours are from 10 a.m. to 18 p.m.