Gothic Bridge

Gothic Bridge Review

Once the city's only claim to fame, this bridge is a site to see. It was built in the 1260s—making it the oldest bridge in the Czech Republic, surpassing Prague's Charles Bridge by 90 years. Not too shabby. Premysl Otakar II commissioned it, seeking a secure crossing for his salt shipments over the difficult-to-ford Otava River. As early as the 9th century Písek stood at the center of one of the most important trade routes to the west, linking Prague to Passau and the rest of Bavaria. In the 15th century it became one of five major Hussite strongholds. The statues of saints weren't added to the bridge until the 18th century. During the devastating floods of 2002 one of the statues was damaged, and all the paving stones washed away, but divers recovered most of the lost pieces. The statues on the bridge are not the originals; there are plans to put those on display in the Sladovna cultural house.