Through the Czech capital, Prague, flows the longest river in the country - the Vltava River, which divides the city into two parts. Therefore, its inhabitants can not even imagine their life without the numerous bridges connecting the two shores. However, the bridges of Prague perform not only a practical function, but also decorate the city, since some of them are real works of art.
Glavkov bridge - a unique building of Prague bridge building
The Glavkov bridge connecting Karlin and Holesovice passes over the islands Štvanice and Vltava. This design was built of iron in the twentieth century. A few years later, the iron structure was replaced by concrete. It is noteworthy that until this time, bridge construction in Prague did not have such structures. The ferry got its name in honor of the great architect and philanthropist of the Czech Republic - Joseph Glavka. An interesting fact is that this bridge has never been renamed, unlike many others that Prague has on its territory. The Black Bridge, for example, was originally called Prague, today it is named after Charles V, and the bridge of Lehi is named after Franz Joseph I.
It is worth noting that the construction of Glavkov Bridge was due to the urgent need to connect these two parts of the city. This was due to the construction of a central slaughterhouse in Holesovice and a power station on the island of Štvanice. The bridge was built in two stages. In 1900, a wooden structure was built, and after 10 years - a railway bridge, which was subsequently connected to a concrete one. The appearance and design that guests and residents of Prague have the opportunity to observe today, Glavkov acquired the bridge in 1962. Relief images of L. Kofranka and B. Kafka adorn the building on the south side, and sculptures by J. Stursa on the north side.
Charles bridge: history and legend
Charles Bridge in Prague deserves special attention. Photos of this design today can be found on the Internet in huge numbers, but not one of them can convey its true beauty and grandeur. This crossing of more than 500 m in length connects the Old City and Malaya Strana. It was built in the 14th century and to this day is not only one of the opportunities to get to the other side of the Vltava, but also one of the most famous sights of the Czech capital.
Prague - that is what today's Charles Bridge in Prague was originally called . The legend associated with the construction of this bridge claims that the construction owes its durability to the fact that the architect required the addition of raw eggs to the solution used for its construction. And since in Prague there were not enough eggs for this, King Charles ordered the whole product to be brought from all over the Czech Republic. There is also a legend about the waterman, who lives under the fourth arch of the bridge and enjoys a large number of collected souls.
Whatever it was in fact, but it is impossible to refute the fact that one of the strongest and most beautiful structures of the Czech capital is the Charles Bridge in Prague. Photos that can be found on the Internet represent it in all its beauty. The structure is decorated with 30 statues and three towers, which were initially assigned the role of defensive structures. Today, residents and visitors of Prague have the opportunity to simply climb the tower from the side of the Old Town and admire the beauty of sculpting and Gothic art. To do this, they will have to overcome 138 steps.
Irasekov bridge
5 years were spent on the construction of the Irasekov bridge - from 1923 to 1925. His goal was to unload the existing bridges from the ever-growing flow of transport. The design was developed by architects F. Menklem and V. Hoffmann, who successfully managed to combine high load capacity, elegant appearance and functionality in this design. Reinforced concrete was used for construction.
The Irasekov bridge has a length of 21 m, a width of 310.6 m, a span height of 14.5 m and connects the working suburb of Prague with Novy Mesto. All bridges of Prague have their own name history. So, this design was named after Alois Irasek, who is a famous Czech writer who wrote the book “Old Czech Tales”, which became a kind of poetic hymn to the people of this state.
Manesov bridge - a favorite place for tourists
The Manesov bridge is another construction that cannot be ignored in any way, considering the bridges of Prague. Photos of this building, of course, can be found in various sources, but to visit it is completely different, because it offers a magnificent view of the Czech capital.
The construction of this crossing was completed in 1916. The project for Manesov Bridge was developed by such famous Czech architects as Vlastimil Hoffmann and Pavel Janak. Earlier, Klarov and the Old Place were connected by an iron suspension bridge for pedestrians. And even earlier there was a ferry to the fishing village. Initially, the bridge was built exclusively for the movement of vehicles, but over time there was a need for the movement of pedestrians on it, for which tracks were equipped in the mid-20th century. The name of the building is due to the famous artist of the XIX century, Joseph Manes.
Nuselsky bridge - the youngest bridge in the Czech capital
The Nuseli bridge differs from other bridges in the Czech capital primarily in its enormous size - 26 meters wide, on which there is a six-lane road and sidewalks on both sides, and 500 in length. Thousands of vehicles pass through the bridge every day, and inside it is a subway tunnel.
This bridge was built in the period from 1968 to 1973. So, this crossing is the youngest and highest in Prague. It has a height of 43 meters. The bridge was built in order to connect the New Place and Pankaz. It is worth noting that it does not cross the Vltava River, like many other bridges in Prague, but simply passes over the Nusel Valley, from which it got its name. True, he initially bore the name of Clement Gottwald, who was the first president of Czechoslovakia. The people call the bridge a bridge of suicides. This is due to the fact that many people have settled accounts with their lives by jumping from the Nusel Bridge.
Legia bridge
Considering the bridges of Prague, it is also worth mentioning the Legia bridge - the first crossing of the Czech capital, built on the site of the existing chain suspension. Connects the bridge of Legia National Avenue with the Small Side and passes over Streletsky island. The plan for this facility was developed by engineer Jiří Soukup and architect Antonin Balshank. The bridge has a length of 343 m and a width of 16. Its prototype is the Paris bridge Pont d'Alma.
It is impossible to visit Prague and ignore its magnificent bridges, however, which one should be preferred, everyone decides for himself.