A Story from Charles Bridge in Prague

The Charles Bridge in Prague is a must see pedestrian bridge that connects the old town and the castle, and as a matter of fact one of the most amazing bridges I’ve ever seen. Being built in 1357 at the orders of King Charles IV, the bridge endured battles, wars, floods, tram and car traffic over the years. Since 1950 it became a pedestrian zone offering the tourists a great panoramic view, the vendors and street artists a place to perform, and people a convenient way to cross the Vltava River and get to the Old Town.

What makes this bridge special are the Baroque statues lined up on the both balustrades of the bridge. Each of these statues bears a story and a meaning, which if you have time to stay and contemplate, I truly recommend it. From the 30 statues, there are real pieces of art, some to mention are the sculpture group of St. Lutgarde, and the bronze statues of St. John of Nepomuk. The bridge is “protected” by bridge towers, that stand at the either end of the bridge.

This bridge can be incredible crowded, especially in high season. Therefore, it is recommended to take a walk either early in the morning or late at night. We strolled along the bridge on Saturday afternoon, a couple of hours after our arrival in Prague. It was extremely crowded, a sea of people going in every directions, taking pictures, buying souvenirs from vendors on the side of the bridge, artists playing instruments, singing or dancing, others painting. We tried to keep an eye on each other, so that we know exactly where we are.

At some point I saw people on the side of the river doing water zorbing, and since I have it on my bucket list, told my sister to stop there and watch with me. It took me 3 min and was ready to move forward, but when I turned I couldn’t see her anymore. My heart went in 5 seconds from calm to panic, started to search around and couldn’t remember when I saw her last time before realizing that she went missing. Was not sure which direction to go, straight or to go back, started to think what would she do. Following my gut, I walked straight, sometimes stopping and climbing the balustrade to look around (imagine people around starring at me thinking I was going to jump). There were so many people, you could not see 5 meters in front of you. I was already scared that I might not find her, when, by that time reaching the other side of the bridge, saw her walking and looking after me. I just raised my hand and I yelled so hard, people were starring at me, but nevertheless she saw me and we found each other. It is really hard to stroll on the bridge when is crowded, and it takes a huge effort to reach the other side of the bridge. So believe me when I say that you must be careful when you stroll on the Charles Bridge, as this is one of the most crowded pedestrian bridge in the world.