Sunrise parade to commemorate 667th anniversary of Charles Bridge

As the first rays of dawn break over the Vltava River in Prague on Tuesday, a procession of medieval knights on horseback is set to march across the iconic Charles Bridge, ushering in a momentous celebration: the 667th anniversary of the laying of the bridge’s foundation stone.

The annual festivities, organized by the Charles Bridge Museum, will transport visitors back to the 14th century when Roman Emperor Charles IV personally oversaw the bridge’s construction. At precisely 5:31 a.m. – the same time the foundation stone was laid in 1357 – the ceremony will commence, honoring the auspicious date and time selected by the emperor’s court astronomers.

Charles Bridge began construction at Charles IV's behest in 1357 after its predecessor, Judith Bridge, succumbed to a devastating flood. The bridge wasn't completed until 1402 but has connected the left and right banks of the Vltava River ever since.

From the beginning, the bridge has been accompanied by symbolism and mystery. Together with astrologers, Charles IV, who was also an initiated mystic, carefully chose the moment of laying the foundation stone.

The emperor supposedly selected the time based on the alignment of the planet Mars and the constellation Leo, a symbol of Bohemian kings. The chosen time made it an interesting palindrome.

“It forms a numerologically interesting series of odd numbers that rise and then fall, and follow each other the same when reading forwards and backward: 135797531,” Zdeněk Bergman, director of the Charles Bridge Museum told iDnes before last year’s celebration.

The foundation stone’s laying will be commemorated at Křížovnické náměstí.

The bridge was originally known as Prague Bridge, as it was the only bridge in Prague at the time. Given its stone construction, it later became known as Stone Bridge (Kamenný Bridge). The current name, Charles Bridge, came into prominence in the late 19th century, honoring its founder, Charles IV.

The bridge features a statue of Charles IV on the Old Town Bridge Tower, and the Malá Strana end is considered the older part of the structure. Over the centuries, the bridge saw the introduction of horse-drawn trams in 1883, electric trams in 1905, and buses in 1908 before being closed to vehicular traffic in 1965.

Throughout the morning, researchers will share insights into the realities of life during the bridge’s construction, while artistic performances will bring the era to life. Choirs and dancers will join the procession of knights.

For those seeking a more literal taste of history, the celebrations will include an egg breakfast – a nod to the popular legend that the mortar used to build the bridge was reinforced with eggs, despite modern analysis debunking this myth.

At 7 a.m., a special mass will be held at the nearby Church of St. Francis of Assisi, adding to the spiritual significance of the day’s events; the Charles Bridge Museum will be open for free on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.