Lesser Town Bridge Tower, Prague, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

The Lesser Town Bridge Tower is a pair of towers guarding the Malá Strana end of the Charles Bridge in Prague. One is a low Romanesque tower from the earlier Judith Bridge and the other a taller Gothic tower, and together they mark the old gateway between the river and the district below Prague Castle.

The story behind it

The smaller tower is the older of the two. It is a Romanesque survivor of the Judith Bridge, the stone bridge that stood here before the Charles Bridge and was badly damaged by a flood in 1342. When Charles IV founded the new bridge in the 14th century, a gate was still needed to control the way into Lesser Town, one of the oldest settled parts of the city.

The taller Gothic tower was built next to it in the 15th century and was modelled on the Old Town Bridge Tower at the far end of the bridge. It is smaller and plainer than its famous counterpart, and its job was practical: it watched over the crossing and the approach to the district. Today the two towers frame the gateway, and the contrast between their styles shows how long the crossing has been in use.

What to look for

• Compare the two towers side by side: the lower one has the heavy, simple look of Romanesque building, while the taller one has the steeper lines of Gothic work.
• Walk through the arched passage between the towers and notice how narrow the gateway is and how thick its walls are.
• Look back along the bridge toward the Old Town Bridge Tower, the larger tower this one was modelled on.
• If you climb the tower, look for the view over the bridge, the Vltava and the red roofs of Lesser Town, with Prague Castle rising above.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about 20 to 30 minutes to see the towers from outside, and longer if you climb to the viewing level. Check current opening hours before you go.
• Go early in the morning or in the evening, when the Charles Bridge is much less crowded and the light on the towers is softer.
• You can walk through the gateway at any time, since it is part of the street leading into Lesser Town.
• Nearby you can reach Kampa Island, the Lennon Wall and the streets climbing toward St. Nicholas Church and the castle.

See it on a quest

Ghost of the Crown: Prague’s Royal Quest is a good way to meet the towers in context. You reach them on foot as one stop of a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle in front of what you are looking at. One ticket covers the whole group.

Save the Emperor: The Alchemy Mission, Prague takes a different, alchemy-flavoured route through the old city. You walk between the stops at your own pace, hear about each place on the spot and solve a puzzle there, with no guide and no group to join. One ticket covers the whole group.