Legendary and Romantic Charles Bridge – Part 4 of a Bohemian Journey Through the Former Austro-Hungarian Empire

D1 23/11 Chengdu – Prague – Museum – Wenceslas Square – Kutná Hora Old Town – Prague Old Town Square – Charles Bridge – Lennon Wall

D2 24/11 Wenceslas Square – Prague Castle – Old Town Square – Charles Bridge – České Budějovice – Budweiser Brewery – Český Krumlov – Český Krumlov Castle

D3 25/11 Český Krumlov Castle – Český Krumlov – Vienna – Stephansplatz – Graben

D4 26/11 Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel – Prater – Stadtpark – Schönbrunn Palace – Wachau Valley – Melk Abbey

D5 27/11 Melk Abbey – Admont Abbey – Hallstatt – St. Gilgen – Salzburg Old Town – Mozartplatz – Franciscan Church – Salzburg Cathedral – Old Town Christmas Market

D6 28/11 German Magic Forest – Hintersee – Königssee – Mirabell Palace Christmas Market in Salzburg – Residenzplatz – Salzburg Cathedral – Fortress – Old Town

D7 29/11 Mirabell Palace & Gardens – Salzburg Old Town – Dobratsch Mountain in Villach – Bled Castle – Ljubljana Castle – Dragon Bridge – Old Town Christmas Market

D8 30/11 Piran Old Town – Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč – Pula Arena – Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka – Zadar Old Town – Sea Organ – Greeting to the Sun

D9 1/12 Zadar Old Town – Plitvice Lakes (Europe's Jiuzhaigou) – Zagreb Old Town Christmas Market – Cathedral of the Assumption – St. Mark's Church – Museum of Broken Relationships – Lake Balaton

D10 2/12 Lake Balaton campsite – Tihany Abbey – Fisherman's Bastion in Budapest – Vienna – Bratislava

D11 3/12 Bratislava Old Town – Castle – Karlsplatz in Vienna – Vienna State Opera – Musikverein – Hofburg Palace – Maria-Theresien-Platz Christmas Market – Volksgarten Christmas Market – Prague Old Town Square – Charles Bridge

D12 4/12 Prague Old Town – Charles Bridge – Lennon Wall – Prague Airport – Chengdu

Enchanting medieval city, legendary and romantic Charles Bridge

I have visited mysterious medieval Prague several times, crossing this most captivating Charles Bridge in Europe at least a dozen times.

The most recent visit was during the 2019 winter Christmas season, when I began my independent journey through the former Austro-Hungarian Empire with Prague as the first stop.

The Vltava River, mother river of the Czech nation, flows through Prague. Rising in the Bohemian Forest of South Bohemia, it passes through Český Krumlov and České Budějovice before finally flowing into Germany to join the Elbe.

As the Vltava reaches Prague, it broadens and calms. The most renowned Charles Bridge spans 516 meters, about 10 meters wide, with 16 arches. It is named after Charles IV, the holy Roman emperor and Bohemian king, a saintly ruler in Czech history.

Built in 1357 as a stone arch bridge, Charles Bridge was modeled on the Angel Bridge in Rome. It is a perfect blend of Gothic bridge engineering and Baroque sculpture. Tall iron-grey towers stand at both ends, witnessing over six centuries of history.

For a very long period, Charles Bridge was the only bridge across the Vltava in Prague, serving as the vital link between the Old Town and the Lesser Town.

Next to the Old Town bridge tower at the eastern end, on Křižovnické Square, stands a statue of Charles IV—Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia—who decided to build this bridge. The four seated figures on the base represent the four faculties of Charles University, the oldest university in Central Europe founded by Charles IV in 1348: medicine, philosophy, theology, and law.

To the south of the bridge tower is the Smetana Museum. Bedřich Smetana, the father of Czech national music, composed the symphonic poem "Vltava" as the second movement of his masterwork Má vlast (My Fatherland).

Living in an era when the Austro-Hungarian Empire replaced the Holy Roman Empire and the Czech national revival began, Smetana infused the Vltava theme with deep Czech emotion and spirit, making it a symbol of the nation. The four-bar main melody is profoundly beautiful; once heard, it is unforgettable, its variations an endless expression of love for homeland and people, often called the second Czech national anthem.

Smetana’s Vltava:

"Two springs pour forth in the shade of the cold, whistling forest, uniting to become the Vltava, flowing into the distance.

It streams through forests echoing with the hunter’s horn, across rich harvest fields.

The sounds of a joyful village wedding drift to its banks. By moonlight, water nymphs sing bewitching songs while frolicking on its waves...

The Vltava bursts through the rapids of the St. John’s gorge, roaring and spraying foam.

Near beautiful Prague, its bed widens,

and it rolls with mighty waves past the ancient Vyšehrad..."

Charles Bridge has three towers—two at the Lesser Town end, one at the Old Town end. Above the Old Town bridge tower, there is a golden relief of figures.

It is said that the central figure is Saint Vitus, the patron saint, while on the left stands Emperor Charles IV wearing a crown and holding a cross, and on the right is King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia. Flanking the central niche are the single-headed eagle of the Holy Roman Empire and the double-tailed lion of the Kingdom of Bohemia. Giving such a prominent place to Saint Vitus underlines his religious significance.

When the bridge was completed, only a sculpture of the Crucifixion of Jesus stood there.

Three hundred years later, the church added a statue of Saint John.

In the following century, 28 more Baroque statues were erected one after another, earning the bridge the title of a "peerless open-air museum of Baroque sculpture."

Today, the pedestrian Charles Bridge is an ideal spot for sightseeing, photography, and a perfect place for folk artists and musicians to display their work and attract customers.

The eighth statue—the guardian of Charles Bridge—is that of Saint John. He holds a crucifix, clasps a golden palm, his expression sorrowful, barely standing, with a saint’s golden halo above his head.

Two copper reliefs adorn the pedestal: on the left, “The Queen’s Confession”; on the right, “John Thrown into the River.”

It’s believed that touching these brings good luck, so over the years they have been polished bright by countless hands.

If you’ve been to Prague and stroked those reliefs, did you notice the statue of Saint John above them is that of a blind man? That history begins with this "Blind John."

In the year 1393, Father John of Nepomuk refused to reveal to King Wenceslaus IV the secret of Queen Sophia’s confession, which she had made only to him. The enraged king had him thrown from the bridge into the river, and he drowned.

In the 18th century, John was canonized and honored as a saint, becoming the guardian of Charles Bridge. It is said that after his death, five stars appeared above his body, which is why the sculptor added five stars around his head.

This Saint John is the first recorded martyr of the Catholic Church for upholding the seal of confession. Who the queen’s lover was, no one except the queen and Saint John will ever know, even after centuries. Saint John buried the secret of her infidelity deep in his heart; though his tongue was cut out, he never spoke a word. As a priest, he kept the sanctity of God’s messenger; as a friend, he earned the trust and respect of all Czechs, including the queen.

Since then, Saint John has become the patron saint of all women—faithful or not.

And later, people believed that if you touched the statue with a sincere heart, you would receive the happiness you dream of.

On the bridge railing not far from Saint John’s statue is a small wrought-iron grill with a golden cross in the middle—this marks the exact spot from which he was thrown into the river.

The oldest sculpture on Charles Bridge, the Crucifixion of Jesus, rises against the blue sky, with Veronica and Mary Magdalene standing on either side, their faces heavy with sorrow.

At the Lesser Town end of the bridge stand the two towers—one taller, one lower.

By the river in Old Town sits the yellow Smetana Museum.

I study a few statues on the bridge up close.

In the distance, I see the castle complex—the church spires and the sprawling palace.

Charles Bridge has weathered many storms in its long history. The mottled stones of its arches have withstood countless floods, but the artistic stone bridge has inevitably suffered damage of various degrees.

In the early morning and late at night, Charles Bridge is a place of deep tranquility.

By day, however, it transforms into a lively hub with countless tourists and vendors.

Wandering on Charles Bridge, there are so many sculptures lining both sides. All sorts of people walk here: some strumming ukuleles, some sketching street scenes, some selling flowers. Visitors passing by soak in the views on both sides.

Prague is a romantic place, a city filled with emotion.

Here you can kiss passionately in the street in broad daylight,

or play with swans beneath the bridge.

This is romance and mood. Medieval Prague is called the "City of a Hundred Spires" and the "Golden City." Apart from churches, tall buildings are rare. Rows of red-roofed houses huddle together, giving a sense of ease, freedom, and a touch of mystery.

In the streets and lanes of this medieval city, music often drifts through the air. People enjoy life, revere heaven and earth, and encircle the lofty churches with their red-roofed buildings, as if they could truly touch God.

On the early morning of my return home, I took a quiet walk through the ancient town, strolling back from the Lennon Wall to steal one last glance at Charles Bridge. The graceful figures of tourists at the bridgehead are still vivid in my memory.

Leaning on the railing, I gaze across at the pomegranate-red roofs and ivory-yellow palace walls. It was not far from here that writer Franz Kafka was born and lived, and as he wandered on Charles Bridge he found inspiration for his immortal work The Metamorphosis. A Kafka museum was later opened nearby; unfortunately, I tried twice to find it but failed.

Kafka called Prague a "mother with claws," one whose emotional grip was hard to escape. The writer’s last words were: “My life and my inspiration come entirely from the great Charles Bridge.”

The next day, we would go upstream on the Vltava to the two towns of South Bohemia: České Budějovice and Český Krumlov...

Travelogue contents: 1. Itinerary 2. Highlights 3. Travelogue

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