Old Town Bridge Tower

The Old Town Bridge Tower (Staroměstská mostecká věž) is widely regarded as one of the finest Gothic city gates in Europe, designed by Petr Parléř — the same architect responsible for St. Vitus Cathedral and much of Charles Bridge — and built from 1357 onward under Charles IV. Unlike most medieval towers built primarily for defence, this one was conceived from the outset as a ceremonial triumphal arch: Czech kings passed beneath it on their coronation processions from the Old Town up to Prague Castle along the Royal Route. Its eastern facade is covered in elaborate sculptural decoration, including statues of Charles IV, his son Wenceslas IV, and St. Vitus; the western side was damaged by Swedish cannon fire at the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1648 and left undecorated. Climbing 138 steps to the viewing gallery at 47 metres offers one of the most photogenic views in Prague — looking directly down the length of Charles Bridge toward Prague Castle on one side, and back into the Old Town roofscape on the other.