At its most basic level, Charles Bridge is -- well, a bridge. It connects the shops, clubs, and cafés on the east side of the Vltava with the restaurants, museums, and pubs on its west.
While crossing the bridge, travelers not only traverse the river, but also admire Prague’s ancient architecture and famous statuary. The monument to John Nepomucene, who was thrown from the bridge by King Wenceslaus IV in the 14th century for not revealing Queen Sofia’s confessional secrets, stands in the bridge’s center. Polished pieces of bronze gleam amid a tarnished body, a result of admirers’ constant rubbing. Legend says that, by rubbing the statue, St. John will keep your secrets and wishes safe.
Yes, the bridge has history. Its structure, spanning 6 centuries, connects the past with the present. But the bridge also connects cultures. Walking from one side to the other, you may hear aboriginal tribal music, New Orleans jazz, and Germanic polka. Americans, Europeans, Africans and Asians brush shoulders between the banks. You will see beggars intermixed with merchants, painters mingling with photographers, and construction workers lunching with club promoters. Prague is known as the crossroads of Europe, uniting East with West, and the bridge is its focal point.
At its most basic level, Charles Bridge is a bridge. But to its travelers, it connects much more than two sides of a river.
Prague, Czech Republic
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