The Charles Bridge in Prague
The Charles Bridge
Clearly one of the place to see in Prague. We first crossed it on a cool and breezy day, 60°F or so.
There was no lack of anything there except space. Statues were everywhere. Pigeons swooped in and pounded their way back into the air again. A jazz group played earnestly along with its quick-stepping, arms swinging, singing lady. A hurdy-gurdy turned and turned, and its mechanical monkey jittered and flailed, probably from hearing the same tune played over and over, again and again.
Art was for sale, artists were painting, photographers were snapping, and beggars were begging. Steeples soared into the sky, sunlight flashed off of windows, and bells rang and rang. Great ships and ferrys passed under the bridge. Wow. Wow.
Prague is the only major European city to have escaped aerial bombardment during World War II from both the Allied and Axis powers.
The Charles bridge would obviously have gone down should that have happened, but there is more to the bridge than just that because the bridge joins one part of the great heart of the city to the other.
The time to be there is at dawn - or so I’ve heard. I never did make that but I did photograph the bridge, or rather some of the people on the bridge at noon and on evenings.
© John Womack, 2006. All rights reserved.
Photos made with Canon Elura 70 on SD card
Clearly one of the place to see in Prague. We first crossed it on a cool and breezy day, 60°F or so.
There was no lack of anything there except space. Statues were everywhere. Pigeons swooped in and pounded their way back into the air again. A jazz group played earnestly along with its quick-stepping, arms swinging, singing lady. A hurdy-gurdy turned and turned, and its mechanical monkey jittered and flailed, probably from hearing the same tune played over and over, again and again.
Art was for sale, artists were painting, photographers were snapping, and beggars were begging. Steeples soared into the sky, sunlight flashed off of windows, and bells rang and rang. Great ships and ferrys passed under the bridge. Wow. Wow. Prague is the only major European city to have escaped aerial bombardment during World War II from both the Allied and Axis powers.
The Charles bridge would obviously have gone down should that have happened, but there is more to the bridge than just that because the bridge joins one part of the great heart of the city to the other.
The time to be there is at dawn - or so I’ve heard. I never did make that but I did photograph the bridge, or rather some of the people on the bridge at noon and on evenings.
© John Womack, 2006. All rights reserved.
Photos made with Canon Elura 70 on SD card
posted by fauxtaographer at
9:00 AM
1 Comments:
Charles Bridge not only connects the Prague neighborhoods of Mala Strana and the Old Town, but through its timeless atmosphere becomes a bridge between the past and the present and creates a space in which human fantasy finds the hidden world of the supernatural. Restaurants and Prague hotels which are situated close to this bridge are the most expensive in the city. Day & night, from far away or on top of it this bridge looks great and is car free.Thanks to many stories and legends, Charles Bridge has become an unforgettable experience for many visitors. It is not unusual for a large crowd of passers-by speaking a variety of languages to gather around the statue of St. John of Nepomuk in the hopes of seeing their dreams come true. And when a tourist cannot find the the Crucifix and Calvary, the artists on the bridge will gladly point the visitor in the right direction. They are very proud of their bridge.
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