Old Town Bridge Tower

The Old Town Bridge Tower was designed by Peter Parler, the architect of the Charles Bridge, as part of the fortification system around the Old Town.

The Late Gothic Tower, said to be the most beautiful bridge tower in Europe, was built between 1370 and 1391 at the Old Town side of the Charles Bridge and served as a gateway to Prague's city center.

The 64 meter tall tower was originally richly decorated on both the east and west facade, but the sculptures on the west facade (towards the Charles Bridge) were severely damaged during a siege by Swedish troops in 1648 and removed afterwards. Fortunately, the decorations on the east facade have been preserved.

Above the arch are the coat of arms of all the lands that were part of the Bohemian Kingdom as well as the kingfisher, the symbol of King Wenceslas IV.

The three statues above the coat of arms depict the patron saint of Bohemia, Saint Vitus in the center with King Charles IV to his left and King Wenceslas IV to his right. Near the top of the tower are two statues of Saint Sigismund and Saint Vojtech (Adalbert).

A long stairway leads to an observation room from where you have great views of Old Town and the Charles Bridge.