Czech Republic

Prague

Charles Bridge is Prague's most iconic landmark, a 516-metre stone bridge lined with 30 Baroque statues connecting the Old Town to the Lesser Town (Mala Strana) across the Vltava River.

Construction began on July 9, 1357, on the orders of King Charles IV. The timing was no accident. Charles, who believed in numerology and astrology, chose the exact moment: 5:31 AM. Written out, the date and time form a palindrome: 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1. He believed this would give the bridge supernatural strength. The bridge was designed by Peter Parler and completed around 1402.

For nearly 500 years, it was the only way to cross the Vltava in Prague. The bridge's 16 sandstone arches have survived floods (including major ones in 1784 and 1890), wars, and centuries of foot traffic. It served as the main connection between Prague Castle and the Old Town until 1841.

The 30 statues and statuaries were mostly added around 1700. The most famous is the statue of St John of Nepomuk, who was thrown from the bridge in 1393 on the orders of King Wenceslas IV. Touching the bronze plaque at the base of his statue is said to bring good luck and ensure your return to Prague.

The bridge is free to cross and accessible 24 hours a day. The Old Town Bridge Tower offers stunning views for a small fee. For the best experience, visit at sunrise or after 10pm, when the crowds thin out.

On a Questo quest through Prague, Charles Bridge is a stop where superstition, art, and engineering meet in one of Europe's most beautiful crossings.

Charles Bridge

Rudolfinum

The House at the Minute

Prague's Sex Machines Museum is exactly what its name says, several floors of historical contraptions presented with straight-faced captions. It sits improbably on the way to the Old Town Square.

Sex Machines Museum

Prague Astronomical Clock

Old Town Square is the historic heart of Prague, a sprawling medieval marketplace that has been the centre of the city's public life since the 11th century.

The square is surrounded by architectural treasures: the twin Gothic towers of the Church of Our Lady before Tyn, the Baroque St Nicholas Church, the pastel-coloured merchant houses, and the Old Town Hall with its world-famous Astronomical Clock.

The Astronomical Clock (Orloj) was installed in 1410, making it one of the oldest working astronomical clocks in the world. Every hour, from 9am to 11pm, a procession of mechanical apostles appears in two windows above the clock face, while a skeleton representing Death pulls a rope and turns an hourglass. The clock shows three types of time (Central European, Old Bohemian, and Babylonian) and tracks the positions of the sun and moon.

At the centre of the square stands the Jan Hus Monument, erected in 1915 on the 500th anniversary of the death of the Czech religious reformer who was burned at the stake for heresy in 1415. Hus's ideas anticipated the Protestant Reformation by a century.

In June 1621, 27 Czech Protestant leaders were executed in the square after the Battle of White Mountain, one of the darkest moments in Czech history. The event is commemorated by 27 crosses embedded in the pavement near the Old Town Hall.

The square is free to visit and accessible 24 hours a day. If you're on a Questo quest through Prague, the Astronomical Clock might just give you the clue you need, if you know where to look.

Old Town Square

Lesser Town Bridge Tower

The Old-New Synagogue

Memorial Kafka 

Rotating Head 

Wenceslas Square is less a square than a wide boulevard running up to the National Museum, with the statue of St Wenceslas on horseback at the top. It has been the stage for most of the turning points in modern Czech history, including the Velvet Revolution.

Wenceslas Square 

St. Nicholas Church 

National Gallery Prague 

Church of St Castulus

The Powder Tower

The Royal steps

Negrelli viaduct

National Monument at Vítkov

The Plague Doctor of Prague

Charles IV Statue

David. Merten

Standard/Tier2

<div>Go back to the times of the Black Death and see what it was like in 18th century Prague.<br><br></div><div>You will visit landmarks, discover hidden gems of the old town and marvel at the stunning architecture. The well-preserved locations on this walking tour will immerse you in the centuries of famous heroes – be they lesser-known or not, to discover how they shaped the beauty of this city.</div>

Statue of Charles IV

Radu Otopeleanu

Shadows over Prague: The Secret Resistance

<div>It is 1989. <br>You are a modest librarian in Communist Prague, where dissent is crushed and opposition is forbidden. Secretly, you are part of a resistance network, smuggling documents to foreign diplomats to expose the regime’s abuses. <br><br>State Security agents stalk you at every step. To survive, you must be clever, cautious, and brave. Uncover hidden stories and secret places across Prague in this thrilling mission. Are you ready?&nbsp;</div>

Old Town Bridge Tower

Charles IV Statue, Prague, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Plan Your Visit

Explore Charles IV Statue with a Questo quest

The Plague Doctor of Prague

Shadows over Prague: The Secret Resistance

Nearby Attractions

Charles Bridge

Rudolfinum

The House at the Minute

Sex Machines Museum

Prague Astronomical Clock

Prague Astronomical Clock

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Prague

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