Photos

10 years ago, April 1998, a 5 days travel in Prague and Kutna Hora, to discover this two jewels of Mittel Europe.

The image was took from the top of the tower over the Charles Bridge a famous historical bridge that crosses the Vltava river.
Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of 15th century. A
s the only means of crossing the river Vltava (Moldau), the Charles Bridge used to be the most important connection between the Old Town, Prague Castle and adjacent areas until 1841. Also this 'solid-land' connection made Prague important as a trade route between east and west Europe.
The bridge was originally called the Stone Bridge (Kamenný most) or the Prague Bridge (Pražský most) but has been the "Charles Bridge" since 1870.

The bridge is 516 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide, resting on 16 arches shielded by ice guards.
It is protected by three bridge towers, two of them on the Malá Strana (Lesser Quarter) side and the third one on the Old Town side.
The Old Town bridge tower is often considered to be one of the most astonishing civil gothic-style buildings in the world. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them baroque-style, erected around 1700.

On the other side of the bridge there is the Nove Mesto, the New Town, with the famous and wonderful small neighborhood of Malá Strana and over them the hill with the Prague Hrad, the Castle, with the Saint Vitus Cathedral.

*Scanned image*