Prague Castle and Charles Bridge

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On 11/06/2011 this image has had 476 views, 34 comments and favorited by 2 people

Feature in High Quality Images – August 2011

Prague Castle
A history of more than 1100 years speaks for itself. The story of the Prague Castle identifies itself with the story of Prague and Christianity (860s, Chyril and Methodius) in the Czech Republic. In 870s AD the Prince Borivoj, one of the first Czech rulers from the Royal Dynasty of Premyslids ordered the building of the Castle, originally out of timber and with a soil rampart fortification.

During the reconstruction of the Castle in 1920 a huge archaeological site was discovered, proving that the original size of the Castle is the same as the area that the castle occupies today. Originally, the castle premises included a palace, three churches and a monastery. Even though the fortification had to face many fires, invasions and even World Wars, it had somehow every time survived and as time passed, it became the symbol and living legend of Prague.

The most important moments in Prague Castle history line are the rebuilding processes undertaken by the Premyslids (Romanesque Style) in the 13th century and in the following two centuries by Charles IV (Gothic Style) and King Vladislav Jagiello (Neo-Gothic Style).

Charles Bridge (Karluv Most) is a 14th century stone bridge linking the two sides of Prague. This magnificent structure is one of the city’s finest attractions, and is the main pedestrian route connecting the Old Town with Mala Strana and Prague Castle.
From Charles Bridge visitors enjoy fairytale views of the Prague skyline. The wide expanse of the river flows beneath it, flanked on both sides by elegant buildings. Prague Castle towers above in its eminent position. Here you are truly in the centre of the city.

Charles Bridge throngs with people during the day. Street artists sketch and musicians play; look out for the jazz band, who are particularly entertaining. But for a truly romantic and less crowded stroll, try early morning or any time in the evening.

King Charles IV commissioned the bridge. The foundation stone was laid in 1357. Charles IV’s favourite architect and builder, Peter Parler, oversaw the majority of the work. The initial idea was to build a functional construction for knight tournaments, and for many years the only decoration on the bridge was a simple crucifix. Later, the Catholic desire for ornamentation resulted in 30 statues being erected between 1600 and 1800.

There are now 75 statues on Charles Bridge, but most are copies, as floods and catastrophes over the centuries damaged the originals. Perhaps the most interesting, as well as the oldest, is that of John of Nepomuk (8th from the right as you cross towards Prague Castle).

The entrance to Charles Bridge is marked at both ends by towers: the Old Town Bridge Tower and the Mala Strana Bridge Tower. Text courtesy of Prague Experience

Composition Details
Image was processed in Photoshop, three textures were overlaid and blended.