Charles Bridge Tower (Malá Strana)

You may think that we’ve already shown you this tower… Well, you’re not entirely wrong. At the other end of Charles Bridge, on the Old Town side, stands a similar structure. But similar doesn’t mean identical. The tower before you is actually shorter and has a different design, reflecting the era in which it was built. Romanesque in style, rather than Gothic like its counterpart, it was likely built in the second half of the 12th century as part of the medieval fortifications on the left bank. Not only is it older than Charles Bridge, but it is also said to have outlived its predecessor, the Judith Bridge. Between the 15th and 16th centuries, the right side of the monument was used as a prison for hardened criminals before serving as a customs office. Today, this section is no longer accessible. The left side, built after 1464 at the request of George of Poděbrady, King of Bohemia, was used as a watchtower and a storage facility. The empty niches on the upper level were meant to store statues, but they were never completed. Now open to the public, visitors can climb up to the walkway, rising 26 meters above the ground. So why not go, and see the view from the tower?