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A national cultural monument commissioned by Charles IV in the 14th century. It was later enriched with Baroque sculptural decoration.

Charles Bridge is the oldest surviving stone bridge across the Vltava in Prague. After the stone bridge in Písek, it is the second-oldest stone bridge in the Czech Republic.

It was once known simply as the Stone Bridge or Prague Bridge, and the name Charles Bridge only became established in the 19th century thanks to K. H. Borovský. Until then, it was also the only connection between the right and left banks of the Vltava.

It was built on the site of the earlier Judith Bridge, which had been destroyed by floods, and commissioned by Charles IV. The foundation stone was laid on 9 July 1357 at 5:31 a.m., a deliberately chosen date and time. Written as 1 3 5 7 9 7 5 3 1, it forms an ascending and descending number sequence that was considered magical. The construction was entrusted to Petr Parléř, already renowned for his work on St. Vitus Cathedral.

The bridge is 515.76 metres long and around 10 metres wide. It rests on 16 arches and is guarded by three bridge towers — two on the Lesser Town side and one on the Old Town side. The bridge is lined with 30 mostly Baroque statues and sculptural groups, installed mainly between 1683 and 1714.

The best-known monument is the statue of St. John of Nepomuk, the priest said to have been thrown from this bridge into the Vltava. According to legend, touching the brass plaque beneath the statue ensures your return to Prague.