pamětní desky na mostu ulice U Vizerky přes Šárecký potok Memorial plaque

Welcome to Prague's Dejvice, one of the most beautiful neighborhoods of our capital. You stopped at a place that at first glance may look like an ordinary connecting element in the landscape, but in fact deep history sleeps in it. You're standing in front of a stone bridge across the Sárecký creek in the street U Vizerka. It is a place where the practical need to overcome the water flow meets the spiritual and property heritage of one of the most important monasteries in our countries. Feel the atmosphere of this place, listen to the noise of the stream beneath your feet and let yourself forget for a moment the hustle and bustle of the surrounding city. In front of you you can see a construction that has served people for almost two years and is now recognised as a real-estate cultural monument of the Czech Republic.

Let us now return together in time many years back, namely to 1831. At that time, this area was much more connected to the activities of the Strahov monastery. It is the members of the religious order of the premonstrators who worked here who decided to build this stone bridge. But it was not just for joy, but it had a clear and specific purpose. The bridge was a key part of the road that led to the castle Jenerálka. Imagine the landscape at that time, a quieter pace of life and travelers walking through to the castle, surrounded by greenery and the nature of the Sárecký creek. This bridge basically connected the spiritual centre in Strahov with its property and rest places around Jenerálka.

Now I would like to ask you to pay attention to the construction itself and its details that you can see right now. Look at the extreme pillars of the railing. It is here that two commemorative boards are placed, which are absolutely essential to this place. These plates are not only an ornament, but they serve as a historical notebook in stone. If you approach them, you'll see that they carry inscriptions in Latin. At that time, Latin was the language of educated people, priesthood and science, and its use underlines the connection of the bridge with the monastery order.

Note that these inscriptions are not common. They contain so-called time codes, which we call chronographs in professional language. It is a fascinating way of writing, when certain letters are written differently or highlighted in the text, so that when they are added up as Roman numerals, a particular year will appear. In this case, these codes tell us the date of the construction and remind us of its original purpose. It's a little puzzle from the past, carved in stone by builders so that future generations can figure out with playfulness when the bridge was actually built.

This place is closely associated with one specific personality, which at that time played a major role in the Strahov monastery. He was Abbot Benedict. It was under his leadership and through his decisions that this infrastructure was created to facilitate the journey to Jeneralka. Abbot Benedict was not only a spiritual leader, but also an administrator of extensive property, and the construction of the bridge was a manifestation of his efforts to improve accessibility and the development of the surroundings. So when you look at these stone blocks, remember that their creation was the vision of one person and the work of many unknown craftsmen whose names are not written in any chronicles, but their work still serves us all.

Now let's move forward in time. The history of this bridge is not static, but it evolved with the city. If you look at both plates carefully, you will find that they are not from one period. The first one brings us back to the beginning of 1831, but the second one shows a much more recent intervention. A new bridge construction was completed in 1968. The world has changed dramatically over the years, transport needs have grown and the original construction has not been sufficient. It was therefore necessary to modernise the bridge to withstand the burden of modern times. In order not to forget the original roots and history of the site, the second commemorative plate was also installed during this reconstruction. It's a beautiful example of how modern technology can meet with respect for tradition. The new construction carried a memory of the old one, thus maintaining continuity, which connects nineteenth century with the 20th and subsequently with our present.

You might find one interesting thing that makes this bridge more than just a trip across the creek. The whole memorial boards on the bridge are officially listed as real cultural monuments of the Czech Republic. This means that the state recognises their extraordinary value for our national history and culture. It's not just because of the material they're made of, it's because of the information they're giving us. They are silent witnesses of changes in the landscape of Dejvice and proof of the strong influence the Strahov monastery had on the development of this part of Prague.

Now try to imagine how many thousands of people have passed through here in all these years. How many monks in their robes, how many passengers heading towards the castle of Jenerálka and how many of the inhabitants of Dejvice who use this bridge every day without realizing that they are walking on a work that is almost two walls. There's something fascinating about it that a small detail like two boards in the railing can preserve the memory of generations.

Now, if you look around you again, consider this bridge a link. Not only the link between the two shores of the Sárecký creek, but the link between the past and the present. Between the spiritual world of premonstrats and today's dynamic life in Prague. These Latin inscriptions and time codes are like letters from the past addressed to you, the visitors who stopped and wanted to know more.

Thank you for accompanying me on this short trip to the history of the bridge in U Vizerka Street. I hope you find these stone details much more interesting now and that you will carry a piece of the story of Abbot Benedict and the premonstrates. Now I invite you to continue to explore the area. You can go towards the castle Jenerálka, which was the original destination of the journey, or be led through the streets of Dejvice, which hide many other secrets. I wish you a pleasant walk and many other beautiful discoveries in our city. Goodbye.