It connects the Old Town and the Lesser Quarter, is 520 metres long, and its construction was launched by King Charles IV on the site of the old wooden Judith Bridge that was destroyed in a flood. It was named after Charles, but on- ly at the end of the 19 th century, because at the time it was built it was known as the Stone Bridge, and later Prague Bridge. The German emperor and Czech king believed that this structure would be given added strength if, in accord- ance with the rules of numerology, the foundation stone was laid in the year 1357 on 9 th July at 5.31am. This was supposed to protect it thanks to the sym- bolic sequence of numbers 135797531. The bridge was also given strength by egg yolks that were allegedly mixed into the mortar. And whatever you think of all of this, one thing is certain – the bridge has withstood the power of floods for seven long centuries! It is protected at both ends by gothic towers and extends over 16 archways, featuring 30 statues of saints and protectors of the bridge and Prague on its bal- ustrade. The most famous among them is the Statue of St. John of Nepomuk (the eighth on the right when heading towards the castle). Legend has it that your wish will come true and you will return to Prague if you touch the bronze plate here with your left hand. Countless palms have given the plates a golden shine. The statues on the bridge are replicas, with the originals having been relocated to the Czech National Museum in 1965. This bridge is one of 12 across the Vltava. It is the oldest in Prague and one of the most beautiful in Europe. Packed all day long with countless tourists, painters, musicians and souvenir sellers, those who don’t like crowds are best advised to visit early in the morning or after dark. Beauty of Charles Bridge
Spaja Stari i Mali grad, dug je 520 metara, a njegovu grad- nju započeo je Karlo Četvrti na mestu starog drvenog Judi- tinog mosta, koji je uništen u poplavi. Po Karlu su ga prozva- li, ali tek krajem 19. veka, jer je u vreme kada je nastao, nosio ime Kameni, a kasnije Praški most. Nemački car i češki kralj verovao je da će ovoj građevini dati dodatu snagu ako, pre- ma pravilima numerologije, kamen temeljac položi 1357. go- dine, 9. jula u 5.31. Štitiće ga, mislio je, simboličan niz brojeva 135797531. Snagu su mostu dala i žumanca, koja su navodno umešana u malter, a šta god mislili o navedenom, jedno je si- gurno – most odoleva poplavama već sedam dugih vekova! Na oba kraja zaštićen je gotskim tornjevima, prostire se na 16 lukova na kojima stoji 30 statua svetaca i zaštitnika mo- sta i Praga. Najpoznatija među njima je statua Svetog Ja- na Nepomuka (osma sa desne strane kad se krećete u prav- cu zamka). Legenda kaže da će vam se želja ostvariti i da ćete se vratiti u Prag ako protrljate bronzanu ploču levom rukom. Bezbrojni dlanovi dali su ploči zlatni sjaj. Statue su kopije, a originali su 1965. godine premešteni u Češki nacionalni mu- zej. Ovaj most je jedan od 12 mostova koliko ih ima na Vltavi, najstariji je u Pragu i jedan od najlepših u Evropi. Ceo dan vr- vi od ljudi, pa ga je, ako ne volite gužvu, najbolje obići u rano jutro ili kad padne mrak. Lepota Karlovog mosta
THE GOLDEN CITY
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