Counting downstream along the Vltava in Prague, the eleventh bridge is Štefánik Bridge. It connects the right-bank Ludvíka Svobody embankment with the left-bank Kapitána Jaroše and Edvard Beneš embankments. Naturally it then links Revoluční Avenue and the Letná Tunnel.
The chain Bridge of Emperor Francis Joseph I, which had stood here since 1868, was the largest cast-iron structure in Prague. It was first reconstructed in 1898 and finally dismantled in 1947. It was replaced by the present reinforced-concrete bridge, built gradually between 1949 and 1951. Today its structure consists of three arched spans over a length of 182 m. Together with its approach ramps, it is 263 m long. The project was designed by Vlastislav Hofman and Otakar Širc. Notably, formwork made of steel tubes was used here for the first time in Czech bridge construction.
Like most other bridges, this one too has been renamed in the past — during World War II it was the Leoš Janáček Bridge, and under communism the Šverma Bridge. In 2007 the bridge underwent a complete reconstruction. The road surface was completely replaced and asphalt replaced the paving on both the road and the pavements. The tram track was also renewed.
You can admire Štefánik Bridge from an unusual angle aboard our boats and steamboats on one of our regular cruises, or by hiring a boat — for example for a corporate event with a custom route.
