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The oldest bridge in the Czech Republic: Písek, Charles Bridge and the lost Judith Bridge

The oldest surviving bridge in the Czech Republic is the Gothic Stone Bridge in Písek, from the 13th century. Only Prague's Judith Bridge was older, swept away by a flood in 1342. A guide to the oldest stone, wooden, chain and concrete bridges and what you can see today.

Czech heritage records · the oldest bridges

Short answer: the oldest surviving bridge in the Czech Republic is the Gothic Stone Bridge in Písek over the Otava, from the second half of the 13th century, several decades older than Prague's Charles Bridge.

The very first stone bridge in Bohemia was Prague's Judith Bridge of 1158–1172, but a flood swept it away in 1342. Charles Bridge is therefore the oldest standing bridge in Prague and the second oldest in the country.

“The oldest bridge in the Czech Republic” is searched for by tourists, schoolchildren and crossword solvers. Unlike town halls or castles, this question has a surprisingly clear answer: Wikipedia, the town of Písek, Kudy z nudy, Czech Television and the Czech National Bank, which put the bridge on a gold coin, all agree. It only gets interesting with second places, Europe, and bridges made of wood, iron and concrete.

The Stone Bridge in Písek: the oldest surviving bridge in the Czech Republic

The Stone Bridge in Písek was probably built in the third quarter of the 13th century, during the reign of Ottokar II. No reliable source gives an exact year, so treat figures like “1265” or “1260” with caution. The first written mention dates from 1348. The bridge lay on the Golden Trail, the trade route that brought salt into Bohemia.

It is about 110 metres long (sources give 109.75 and 111 m) and 6.25 metres wide. It stands on six piers and has seven arches, six of them original and the seventh added in the 18th century. Medieval masons' marks can still be seen on the stones. Defensive towers once stood at both ends but have disappeared: a flood brought one down in the 1760s, and the other was demolished in 1825.

Locally it is called the Deer Bridge, because according to legend a deer was the first to cross it. The official name “Stone Bridge” has been in use since 2007. It has been a National Cultural Monument since 1998.

The Baroque statues from the 18th century, including St John of Nepomuk with angels, St Anne, St Anthony of Padua and a Calvary, are now copies. The originals are in the Prácheň Museum in Písek.

The 2002 flood

In August 2002 the bridge was completely under water. The Otava rose to nine metres, about three metres higher than a hundred-year flood. The current tore away the railings and one of the angels and damaged the deck. The structure held, however, thanks to repairs in 1996–1997, when the piers were strengthened by grouting and anchored to the bedrock with steel anchors.

The flooded Otava in Písek in August 2002, with the Stone Bridge under water — The flood of August 2002: the Stone Bridge disappeared under the Otava, but held. Photo: Jenik, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

The oldest in Central Europe?

That is often said, but not without qualification. The town of Písek itself says that in Central Europe only the stone bridge in Regensburg in Bavaria, from 1135–1146, is older. It is more accurate to call it “one of the oldest bridges in Central Europe”.

The Judith Bridge: the first, but lost

Prague's Judith Bridge was older still. It was built in 1158–1172 and named after Queen Judith of Thuringia, wife of King Vladislaus II, who financed it. It was about 514 metres long, the oldest stone bridge in Bohemia and one of the oldest north of the Alps. Its model was the bridge in Regensburg.

In February 1342 it was destroyed by a flood with ice floes. Its remains can still be found today:

The Judith Tower, the lower of the Lesser Town Bridge Towers, has a Romanesque core. According to Prague's tourist portal it may even be older than the bridge itself.
The last Old Town arch survives under the Knights of the Cross monastery, and other arch remains are in the cellars of houses in the Lesser Town. Remains of the bridge's paving are by the Vintners' Column.
In 2019 archaeologists located the exact position of the piers in the Vltava using sonar and an underwater drone. The bridge stood just north of Charles Bridge.

The Lesser Town Bridge Towers at the end of Charles Bridge, the lower Romanesque Judith Tower on the left — The Lesser Town Bridge Towers. The lower one, the Judith Tower, dates from the time of the Judith Bridge. Photo: Falk2, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Charles Bridge: the oldest standing bridge in Prague

The Judith Bridge was replaced by Charles Bridge. According to tradition, Charles IV laid the foundation stone on 9 July 1357 at 5:31 a.m., so that the date and time formed the number sequence 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1. Construction was led by Peter Parler; according to newer research, however, it was begun by a master Otto, and Parler took over after his death. It was completed at the beginning of the 15th century.

The bridge is 515.76 metres long, about 9.5 metres wide and has 16 arches. Until 1841 it was the only bridge across the Vltava in Prague. The name “Charles” became established only around 1870; before that it was simply the Stone Bridge or the Prague Bridge.

The bridge carries 30 statues and groups, mostly from 1706–1714. The oldest is St John of Nepomuk, from 1683. Most statues are now copies; the originals are in the Lapidarium of the National Museum and in the Gorlice casemates at Vyšehrad. On the Old Town side the bridge ends at the Gothic Old Town Bridge Tower.

Charles Bridge full of people and the Lesser Town with Prague Castle above the Vltava — Charles Bridge, the oldest standing bridge in Prague and the second oldest in the country. Photo: Peter K Burian, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Floods have damaged Charles Bridge several times, most seriously in 1890, when part of the bridge collapsed. None has managed to destroy it. The second oldest standing bridge in Prague is the Negrelli Viaduct of 1846–1850, more than a kilometre long and, until 1910, the longest railway bridge in Europe.

More of the oldest bridges by type

Stone

Roudnice nad Labem – the first stone bridge across the Elbe and the third stone bridge in Bohemia, built in 1333–1340 under Bishop John IV of Dražice. It was destroyed in the Thirty Years' War.
Kamenné Mosty near Žleby in the Kutná Hora region – a three-arch bridge, probably from the 14th century. Kudy z nudy suggests it could even be older than the Písek bridge, but the date is not documented.
Litovel – in 2014 a stone bridge over a mill race from around 1400 was uncovered on the town square. According to the National Heritage Institute it is the oldest working stone bridge in Moravia. Until then, Litovel's St John's Bridge of 1592 was considered the oldest in Moravia.
The Cloak Bridge in Český Krumlov – striking, but not medieval. It was built in stages between 1686 and 1765.

Chain bridges

The very first chain bridge on the European mainland was built by Bedřich Schnirch in 1824 at Strážnice in Moravia. It was just under 30 metres long and disappeared after about 35 years. The best known surviving one is the Stádlec Suspension Bridge of 1847–1848, the only surviving Empire-style chain bridge in the Czech Republic. It originally crossed the Vltava at Podolsko, but because of the Orlík reservoir it was dismantled and reopened in 1975 across the Lužnice at Stádlec. So it is a bridge that moved house.

Stádlec Suspension Bridge over the Lužnice with a stone gate and chains — The Stádlec Suspension Bridge moved from the Vltava to the Lužnice because of the Orlík reservoir. Photo: Ben Skála, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Wooden bridges

The covered wooden bridge at Černvír over the Svratka, from 1718, is the oldest surviving covered wooden bridge in Moravia. It is 32 metres long and now serves pedestrians. Be careful with the Radošov Bridge over the Ohře: Charles IV granted a privilege for it in 1364, but the original bridge burned down in 1986 and today's wooden structure dates from 2003. We could not document the oldest wooden bridge in the whole country.

Covered wooden bridge at Černvír with a shingle roof over the Svratka river — The covered bridge at Černvír from 1718, the oldest of its kind in Moravia. Photo: Harold, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Railway and concrete bridges

The Nine Arches viaduct at Úvaly from 1844 was designed by Jan Perner; it is 135 metres long and has been a protected monument since 2008. The Bechyně “Rainbow” Bridge opened on 28 October 1928 for the tenth anniversary of the republic. It carries both road and railway and at the time had the highest reinforced-concrete arch in Czechoslovakia. It is not the oldest reinforced-concrete bridge, though. We could not clearly document the oldest surviving concrete bridge.

Reinforced-concrete arch of the Bechyně Rainbow Bridge high above the Lužnice river — The Bechyně Rainbow of 1928 carries both a road and a railway. Photo: ŠJů, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

The oldest bridge in Europe

For comparison: the oldest surviving bridge in Europe is the Mycenaean Arkadiko bridge in the Peloponnese, Greece, from around 1300 BC. It is 22 metres long, built of huge stones and still in use. In Rome, the oldest surviving bridge is the Pons Fabricius of 62 BC.

Table: the oldest bridges in the Czech Republic

Bridge	Type	Date	Record
Judith Bridge, Prague (lost 1342)	stone	1158–1172	first stone bridge in Bohemia
Stone Bridge, Písek	stone	2nd half of 13th c.	oldest surviving bridge in the country
Roudnice nad Labem (lost)	stone	1333–1340	first stone bridge across the Elbe
Charles Bridge, Prague	stone	1357–early 15th c.	oldest standing bridge in Prague
Kamenné Mosty near Žleby	stone	probably 14th c.	date uncertain
Litovel, bridge on the square	stone	around 1400	oldest working stone bridge in Moravia
Černvír	covered wooden	1718	oldest covered wooden bridge in Moravia
Strážnice (lost)	chain	1824	first chain bridge on the European mainland
Nine Arches, Úvaly	railway	1844	–
Negrelli Viaduct, Prague	railway	1846–1850	second oldest standing bridge in Prague
Stádlec	chain	1847–1848	only surviving Empire-style chain bridge
Bechyně Rainbow	reinforced concrete	1926–1928	highest reinforced-concrete arch in Czechoslovakia

Quick facts for quizzes and school projects

The oldest surviving bridge in the Czech Republic is the Stone Bridge in Písek over the Otava, from the 13th century.
The Písek bridge is nicknamed the Deer Bridge, because legend says a deer was the first to cross it.
Charles Bridge was founded on 9 July 1357 at 5:31, forming the sequence 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1.
Charles Bridge has 16 arches.
The oldest statue on Charles Bridge is St John of Nepomuk, from 1683.
The predecessor of Charles Bridge was named after Queen Judith of Thuringia and was destroyed by a flood in 1342.
The Stádlec Suspension Bridge moved from the Vltava to the Lužnice because of the Orlík reservoir and reopened in 1975.
The first chain bridge on the European mainland stood at Strážnice in Moravia, built by Bedřich Schnirch in 1824.
The Bechyně Rainbow Bridge opened on 28 October 1928 for the tenth anniversary of the republic.
The oldest bridge in Europe is the Greek Arkadiko bridge, from around 1300 BC.

Trip ideas

South Bohemia by bridge: Písek, Stádlec and Bechyně are not far from each other. In one day you can see the oldest bridge in the country, the bridge that moved, and the concrete rainbow over the Lužnice.

Prague: walk Charles Bridge from the Old Town Bridge Tower to the Lesser Town towers. At the end you will see the Judith Tower, the last visible piece of Prague's oldest bridge.

We do not list opening hours of museums and bridge towers because they change. You will find them on the websites of the towns and managers, such as prague.eu and pisek.eu.

More Czech heritage records

All records in one place: Czech heritage records.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the oldest bridge in the Czech Republic?

The Stone Bridge in Písek over the Otava, probably built in the third quarter of the 13th century. It is the oldest surviving bridge in the country. Only Prague's Judith Bridge (1158–1172) was older, and it was destroyed by a flood in 1342.

What is the second oldest bridge in the Czech Republic?

Charles Bridge in Prague, founded in 1357. It is also the oldest standing bridge in Prague.

What is the oldest bridge in Prague?

The oldest standing one is Charles Bridge (from 1357). Its predecessor was the Judith Bridge of 1158–1172, of which mainly the Judith Tower in the Lesser Town and fragments in cellars and under the Knights of the Cross monastery survive.

Is the Písek bridge the oldest in Central Europe?

Not quite. The town of Písek itself says that in Central Europe only the Stone Bridge in Regensburg (1135–1146) is older. It is more accurate to call it one of the oldest bridges in Central Europe.

What is the oldest bridge in Moravia?

According to the National Heritage Institute, the oldest working stone bridge in Moravia was uncovered in Litovel in 2014 and dates from around 1400. The oldest covered wooden bridge in Moravia is at Černvír, from 1718.

What is the oldest bridge in Europe?

The Mycenaean Arkadiko Bridge in the Peloponnese, Greece, from around 1300 BC, which is still in use.

Information from Czech and English Wikipedia, the town of Písek, Kudy z nudy, Czech Television, the Czech National Bank, Deník, Seznam Zprávy, the National Heritage Institute, the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, prague.eu, the journal Staletá Praha and the other sources listed below; disputed figures are marked in the text. Photographs from Wikimedia Commons. Lead photo: Stone Bridge in Písek, Art Jarka, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

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