Prague's Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge

The Charles Bridge was founded in 1357 by Charles IV. It is the oldest bridge in Prague. The work was carried out by Peter Parler. It boasts 30 baroque statues mostly from the 18th century. The well-known are works of M. B. Braun and F. M. Brokof. It is 520 m long and 10 m wide. The construction consists of 16 arches. The bridge was fortified at both its ends by towers.

Lesser-Town Bridge Towers

The lower one dates from the 12th century, in Romanesque style, and it is a remnant of the Judith Bridge. The taller one is 200 years younger and was erected in the 15th century. The latter one is accessible to the public.

Open daily: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (IV-X); closed (XI-III). Admission: 30 Kc

Kampa - Island under the Charles Bridge giving a view at the River Vltava and the National Theatre. At one time it was a renowned potters' market.

Lesser Town

The St. Nicolas' Church

The construction of this church started in 1704 on the site of an older Gothic church. The front piece was finished in 1710 and the nave, with its wreath of chapels, was consecrated in 1711. This part was clearly built by Christopher Dienzenhofer. The sanctuary and the cupola were built in 1737-1752 based on Dienzenhofer's design, and the structure was finished by A. Lurago between 1751 and 1756.

The interior is an example of the high Baroque style; the decorations were created by Jan Lukaq Kracker. The Crucifixion (1646) in St. Barbara's chapel and Christ's Passion series (1670), all pictures by Karel Kreta, originally created for the Jesuit Profession House, form the most significant part of the interior decoration.

Most of the sculptures in the church are works by I. F. Platzer. The oldest sculpture in the church is Our Lady of Foyen on the left altar, brought by the Jesuits from Belgium in 1629. The tower of the church (the Baroque bell-tower) comes under the administration of the Prague Information Service. This tower actually never was an integral part of the church as it was an independent property owned by the Lesser Town of Prague (Mala Strana). It has served as a bell and watchtower. As a watchtower, it was also used by the Secret Police during the communist era, until 1989.

Important facts about the church:
Height of the cupola: 50 m inside; 70 m outside; 79m with the clerestory
Width of the church: 40 m
Width of the nave: 30 m
Length of the church: 60 m (without the stairs)
Triumphal arc between the church and the presbytery: 24 m, depth 24 m
Surface area of the murals: 3000 m²
Depth of the basement: 14.5 m

The church is open daily: 9 a.m.-4.00 p.m.
The Bell Tower is open daily: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (IV-X);
Sa+Su 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (XI-III). Admission: 50Kc (the Church); 30 Kc (the Bell Tower)

Church of Our Lady Victorious - Prague Child Jesus
Prague 1, Karmelitska 9

Early Baroque building from 1611, rebuilt in 1644. The church is famous thanks to the Spanish wax effigy of the Prague Child Jesus gifted by Polyxena of Lobkovic and brought to Prague at the end of the 16th century.

The Petrin Watchtower

The construction of the Petrin watchtower was initiated by the Czech Tourist Club on the occasion of the Centennial Land 's Exhibition. It is a scale model (1:5) of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, designed by Ing. Frantiaek Praqil from the famous CKD factory. Its construction started on 16th March 1891 and was finished on 20th August of the same year. The tower is located at an altitude of 324 m above sea level and is 60m high (the Eiffel Tower is 300m high). It weighs about 168 tons and the base of the tower is formed by an octagon with a diameter of 20m. The observation point is at a height of 50,98m and you can get there by climbing up 299 spiral stairs.

The tower is administered by the Prague Information Service (after taking it over from Czech Radio Communications).

Open daily: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. (IV-VIII); 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (IX-X), Sa+Su 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. (XI -III); Admission: 30 Kc

The Petrin hill funicular railway

After its renewal in 1985, the Petrin hill funicular railway (lanovka) was integrated into Prague's public transportation system. You may transfer onto it at the Ujezd tram stop - it takes you up to Nebozizek and Petrin. To ride the funicular railway, you need a valid Prague transportation ticket which is good for transfers.

The funicular railway operates daily from 9.15 a.m. until 11.30 p.m. (30.3. - 14.10.2002) and from 9.15 a.m. until 8.45. p.m. (during the winter season)

Petrin Labyrinth

A labyrinth with mirrored path set up originally for the Jubilee Exhibition and the diorama-Battle of the Praguers with the Swedes in 1648 at Charles Bridge .