Charles Bridge

Old Town bridge tower

The construction of the tower was begun under Charles IV and ran concurrently with work on the bridge itself. However, it was not completed until the reign of Wenceslas IV. Statues of both rulers are - with that of the bridge's patron saint, Wenceslas - to be seen on the eastern side of the tower. They are among the most important Gothic statues in Prague and are the work of the great builder and architect Petr Parléř.

In 1648, during the Thirty Years' War, Swedish cannon completely destroyed the decoration on the western side of the tower. That explains why today it features nothing but a plaque from 1650-1653 by Jan Křtitel Spinetti celebrating the heroism of Prague's citizenry during the siege of the Old Town. In the 1620s the bridge featured more colourful adornment - the heads of 20 leaders of the estates' uprising against the Hapsburgs. They remained there for a decade, before being removed in 1631.