Legends and History Surround Prague’s Charles Bridge

Southern California entrepreneur Youval Ziv, an experienced world traveler, has visited several continents. Currently the head of the real property investment company Pacific Holdings, Youval Ziv has spent a great deal of time in Western and Eastern Europe, with trips to the Baltic republics, as well as Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and the Czech Republic. 

Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is widely beloved as one of the world’s most beautiful and historically rich cities. Most tourists make sure to spend time lingering on Charles Bridge, which spans the Vltava River from the city’s Old Town side to Malá Strana (translated to mean Lesser Quarter or Lesser Town). 

Constructed under the reign of the Emperor Charles IV in the 14th Century, the stone bridge is the subject of numerous legends. One of these legends attribute the bridge’s strength and sturdiness over the centuries to builders who affixed its stones with egg yolks. Whatever the reason, the bridge has endured a steady stream of traffic since its construction, and even survived the disastrous 2002 flooding of the city. 

Each of the 30 stone statues mounted along the 515-meter-long bridge has its own story as well. The most famous of these is the statue of Saint John of Nepomuk. The Saint is easy to identify, based on the halo of bright stars surrounding his head. One superstition associated with his statue is that visitors who touch his image will surely return to Prague someday.