Charles Bridge Or Rarely Charles Bridge Is The Oldest Standing Bridge Over The Vltava River In Prague Royalty-Free Stock Photo

Charles Bridge or rarely Charles Bridge is the oldest standing bridge over the Vltava River in Prague and the second oldest preserved bridge in the Czech Republic. It consists of 16 arches. It is bent three times along its length and is gently convex upstream. The bridge piers were not anchored because the solid rock lay too deep. They stood on oak grates, weighed down by large millstones. On the upstream side, wooden icebreakers were soon made to protect the pillars. The bridge is bordered by three towers. On the Malá Strana side, there are the larger and smaller Malostranská bridge tower, on the Staré Mesto side, then the Old Town bridge tower. The Old Town Bridge Tower is often described as one of the most stunning secular Gothic structures in the world. The bridge is decorated with 30 statues and sculptures in two rows.