Localada’s free Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower audio guide is part of the Prague audio guide: the story of Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower, practical visiting tips and a route map, narrated in 15 languages. It opens in your browser, with no app download and no tour group.
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Opens the Prague guide in Localada, where Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower is one of the stops. A free account takes a few seconds.
Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower: key facts
- Time to allow: 1 hour
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Address: Karlův most, 110 00 Prague 1
- Nearest transport: Staroměstská station · 5 min walk (A · 17 · 18)
- Localada perk: 5% OFF – Climb the Old Town Bridge Tower for the view along the bridge — book below
- The bridge itself is open at all hours
- The tower has its own ticket and closes earlier than the bridge
- The statues you see are copies; the originals are in the Lapidarium
The story of Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower
The first stone went down on the ninth of July 1357, at thirty-one minutes past five in the morning.
Write that as numbers and you get 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1. It reads the same in both directions. Charles IV kept astrologers on staff, and they chose the moment.
Whether he believed it or not, the bridge is still here. The one it replaced was washed away by the river, as was the one before that.
The builders were said to have mixed egg yolks into the mortar for strength. Villages sent cartloads of eggs; one town, the story goes, boiled theirs first so they would not break on the road.
The statues came three hundred years later and most of what you see is a copy — the originals are in a museum, out of the weather. The oldest figure is John of Nepomuk, a priest thrown from this bridge on a king's order. Touching the plaque below him is said to bring you back to Prague. The brass is worn through in two places.
The tower at the Old Town end is the real prize. It was the gate every Bohemian king passed through on the way to be crowned, and its stonework is a coronation route carved in advance.
A bridge with a palindrome for a birthday, held together by a story about eggs.
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Tips for visiting Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower
- Cross at sunrise — by nine the crowd is shoulder to shoulder
- The view along the bridge from the tower is the photograph everyone wants
- The sixteenth pier is where the Vltava swimmers gather in summer
- Street musicians are licensed here; the ones who follow you are not
- Walk it once in each direction; the Castle side and the Old Town side are different bridges
5% off Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower tickets and tours
Book through Localada and GetYourGuide takes 5% off at checkout, on experiences worldwide. No code needed.
See Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower tickets and tours on GetYourGuide →
More audio guides in Prague
- Prague Castle & St Vitus Cathedral · 3 hours
- Old Town Square & the Astronomical Clock · 1–1.5 hours
- Josefov — the Jewish Quarter · 2–2.5 hours
All stops in the Prague audio guide →
Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower audio guide: frequently asked questions
Is the Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower audio guide free?
Yes. The Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower audio guide is part of Localada’s free Prague guide: create a free account and open it in your browser, no app download needed. Tickets for Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower are bought separately; booking through Localada’s GetYourGuide links gives 5% off.
How long should I spend at Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower?
Allow 1 hour for Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower.
What are the opening hours of Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower?
Open 24 hours. Hours can change on public and religious holidays, so check on the day.
Can I get a discount on Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower tickets?
Yes. Book Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower tickets and tours through Localada’s GetYourGuide links and GetYourGuide applies 5% off at checkout.
Which languages is the Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower audio guide available in?
Narration and text are available in 15 languages: English, Turkish, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Arabic, Persian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
Listen to the Charles Bridge & the Old Town Bridge Tower audio guide, free →