Rainy Day Reads

This bridge was built in 1357 AD by Charles the 4th. It spans the Vltava River and from the eastern end of the bridge you can see the the royal castle on the opposite bank. Perhaps the most famous feature of this bridge are the many sculptures of saints that line the bridge, 30 in total. Most of these were put in place in the 18th and 19th centuries, but have been replaced by copies by now. The originals are placed in churches or museums.   The bridge was built to replace an older bridge, called the Judith Bridge, built in the 12th century. The Judith bridge was damaged in a flood in 1342 and The Charles Bridge replaced it. Until about 1870 this new bridge was simply known as the “stone bridge” or the “Prague bridge”.  The bridge is 621 m long and almost 10 m wide. The entrances to the bridge are protected by towers, one on the side of the old town and two on the side of the so-called “lesser Quarter”. The one by the old town is considered one of the most ...