Prague's 13th century Charles Bridge throngs with people, but is none-the-less a top priority on the list of Prague attractions to visit. Try early morning for a less crowded walk, or go at night for a truly romantic stroll, with fairytale views of the Prague skyline, dominated by magnificent Prague Castle.

Charles Bridge is not just a tourist attraction. It's the main pedestrian route linking the Old Town with Mala Strana, and then onto Prague Castle itself.

During the day, souvenir stands and street musicians line the bridge; look out for the jazz band, who can be particularly entertaining.

King Charles IV's favourite architect and builder, Peter Parler, built the present day Charles Bridge. The initial idea was to build a functional construction for knight tournaments, and for many years the only decoration on the bridge was a simple crucifix. Later, the Catholic desire for ornamentation resulted in 30 statues being erected between 1600 and 1800.

Today, most of the statues are copies, as various floods and catastrophes over the centuries have damaged the originals. There are now 75 statues, and perhaps the most interesting, as well as the oldest, is that of John of Nepomuk (8th from the right as you cross towards Prague Castle).

There are towers at both ends of the bridge - the Old Town Bridge Tower on the Old Town side and the Lesser Town Bridge Towers on the Mala Strana side.