Construction on the Charles Bridge, which crosses the Vltava river in Prague, starts in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and will finish in the beginning of the fifteenth century.

The bridge replaces the old Judith Bridge built 1158–1172 that had been badly damaged by a flood in 1342.

This new bridge is originally called the Stone Bridge (Kamenný most) or the Prague Bridge (Pražský most) but will be called the "Charles Bridge" beginning in 1870.

As the only means of crossing the river Vltava (Moldau) until 1841, the Charles Bridge is the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city's Old Town and adjacent areas.

This "solid-land" connection makes Prague important as a trade route between Eastern and Western Europe.

Throughout its history, the Charles Bridge will suffer several disasters and witness many historic events.

Czech legend has it that construction began on Charles Bridge at 5:31 am on July 9, 1357, with the first stone being laid by Charles IV himself.

This exact time is very important to the Holy Roman Emperor because he is a strong believer of numerology and this specific time, which forms a numerical bridge (1357 9, 7 5:31), will imbue the Charles Bridge with additional strength.

Given the bridge's long life perhaps the Emperor's belief holds some weight, though the bridge will see its fair share of tragedy.