Constructed in Prague, Czech Republic, the stone arch Charles Bridge dates back to 1357–1402. It crosses the River Vltava. It was commissioned by King Charles IV to take the place of Judith Bridge, which was constructed between 1158 and 1172 but was too tiny to withstand a flood in 1342. The first stone was laid for the new bridge in 1357. It was designed by German builder Petr Parléř. Additionally, he built St. Vitus’s Cathedral. It was the sole bridge over the Vltava in Prague before to 1841.

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The bridge has sixteen arches. The Renaissance style was used to build one tower in the 1600s, and the late Gothic style was used to build the other one in 1464. In addition to providing excellent views of Prague’s numerous spires, they guard the bridge’s ends. Around the middle of the 17th century, the bridge evolved from a Gothic stone crossing to the way used by Baroque figures. The 1683-erected statue of St. John of Nepomuk nevertheless conveys a melancholy image of the nation’s patron saint. The site where Bohemian King Wenceslas IV ordered St. John to be thrown into the Vltava in 1393 is supposed to be marked by a crucifix. The sixth and seventh pedestals are adjacent to it. Ultimately, saint figures—the majority of them in the Baroque style—filled all 30 poles. Throughout its more than six hundred-year existence, the Charles Bridge has sustained damage from numerous floods. The worst occurred in 1890 and 1784. The city gradually restored the shattered figurines with fresh stone replicas after they were demolished in 1965. The National Museum currently houses the first ones. Cars were prohibited from crossing the bridge in 1965 while repairs were being made. Only walkers are still able to access it. Subsequent repairs to the well-known bridge carried out between 2008 and 2010, have come under fire for failing to recognize the significance of the structure historically. Even yet, it continues to be a significant event for both visitors and residents of Prague, a mediaeval city.