Bridge · Prague, Czech Republic
Charles Bridge
Charles Bridge is a medieval stone arch bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Built 1357–1402.
Photo: Uoaei1 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Prague, Czech Republic |
|---|---|
| Type | Bridge |
| Built | 1357–1402 |
| Architect | Peter Parler |
| Height | Height: 13 m |
| Coordinates | 50.0864° N, 14.4119° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Charles Bridge is known for
Charles Bridge is a medieval stone arch bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic.
About Charles Bridge
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 replaced the old Judith Bridge built 1158–1172 that had been severely damaged by a flood in 1342.
History
14th to 19th centuries Throughout its history, Charles Bridge has suffered several disasters and witnessed many historic events. Czech legend has it that construction began on Charles Bridge at 5:31am on 9 July 1357 with the first stone being laid by Charles IV himself. This exact time was very important to the Holy Roman Emperor because he was a strong believer in numerology and felt that this specific time, which formed a palindrome (1357 9/7 5:31), was a numerical bridge, and would imbue Charles Bridge with additional strength.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Prague |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Ruzyn? International Airport (PRG) |
| Distance from the airport | 6.6 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) · Prague, Czech Republic · 6.8 miles away
- Pardubice Airport (PED) · Pardubice, Czech Republic · 59.1 miles away
- Karlovy Vary Airport (KLV) · Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic · 66.8 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Czech Republic
More bridges
Frequently asked questions
What is Charles Bridge?
Charles Bridge is a medieval stone arch bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic.
Where is Charles Bridge located?
Charles Bridge is in Prague, Czech Republic. Its coordinates are 50.0864° N, 14.4119° E.
How do I get to Charles Bridge?
The nearest town is Prague, and the nearest airport is Ruzyn? International Airport (PRG), about 6.6 miles away (straight line).
When was Charles Bridge built?
Charles Bridge was built 1357–1402.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bridge — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q204871 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.