30 Saints. ✝️
The bridge is lined with blackened baroque statues. They loom over you like silent judges. Most are replicas (originals are in the Lapidarium), but the atmosphere is real.
The Dawn Rule
Do not come at noon. It is a zoo. Come at 6:00 AM. The fog rolling off the Vltava river wraps around the statues, and you will have the bridge to yourself.
The Crucifix
Look for the crucifix with Hebrew lettering. It was paid for by a Jewish man in 1696 as a punishment for blasphemy. A complex piece of history.
The Bridge Towers. 🏰
The bridge is bookended by towers. The Old Town tower is considered one of the most beautiful Gothic gateways in the world.
Climb Up
Pay the fee and climb the narrow spiral stairs of the Old Town tower. The view looking *down* the bridge toward the castle is the best photo in Prague.
The Trap
In medieval times, iron gates dropped from these towers to trap invaders on the bridge, where they could be picked off by archers.
Lesser Town Towers
On the other side are two towers of different heights connected by an arch. It looks like a fairytale gate into the Little Quarter (Malá Strana).
Good Luck
Touch the Plaque
St. John of Nepomuk. ✨
He was the Queen's confessor. The King wanted to know her secrets. John refused to tell, so the King had him thrown off the bridge in a bag.
The Golden Shine:
Look for the statue with the five stars around his head. Below him is a bronze relief. The spot where John is being thrown into the river is worn bright gold by millions of hands. Touch it to ensure your return to Prague.
Kampa Island. 🌊
Take the stairs down from the bridge on the castle side. You land on Kampa Island, separated from the mainland by the "Devil's Stream."
Venice of Prague
Houses rise straight out of the water. Look for the massive wooden water wheel of the Grand Priory Mill. It creaks slowly in the current.
Lennon Wall
Just around the corner is the John Lennon Wall. Once a site of anti-communist protest covered in Beatles lyrics, it is now a colorful, ever-changing canvas of peace messages.