Charles Bridge is a medieval stone arch bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the early 15th century. Charles Bridge is currently undergoing a twenty-year process of structural inspections, restoration and repairs. The process started in late 2019, and is expected to cost 45-60 million Czech Koruna.
About Charles Bridge in brief
Charles Bridge is a medieval stone arch bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the early 15th century. The bridge is 516 metres long and nearly 10 metres wide, following the example of the Stone Bridge in Regensburg, it was built as a bow bridge with 16 arches shielded by ice guards. It is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them baroque-style, originally erected around 1700, but now all have been replaced by replicas. Charles Bridge is currently undergoing a twenty-year process of structural inspections, restoration and repairs. The process started in late 2019, and is expected to cost 45-60 million Czech Koruna. The last day of the horse line on the bridge was May 15, 1905, when it was replaced with an electric tram and buses.
In the beginning of the 20th century, Charles Bridge saw a steep rise of heavy traffic, with buses and trains crossing the bridge every day. It was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city’s Old Town and adjacent areas until 1841. This land connection made Prague important as a trade route between Eastern and Western Europe. In 1866, pseudo-gothic gas lights were erected on the balustrade; they were later replaced with electric lighting. In the 1870s, the first regular public-transport line went over the bridge later replaced by a horse tram. The Old Town Bridge Tower served as a deterrent display of the severed heads of the victims of the Thirty Years’ War to stop Czechs from further resistance.
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This page is based on the article Charles Bridge published in Wikipedia (as of Jan. 09, 2021) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
