A stroll across the Charles Bridge

 

At the statue of St. John of Nepomuk, be sure to use your left hand to touch the bronze plaque depicting St. John being thrown off the bridge and make a wish.  It brings good luck and ensures that you'll some day return to Prague.

A lot of people don't know the legend, thus they don't know which plaque to touch.  Or it could just be that sometimes there are a lot of people crowded around the statue waiting for their chance to touch it.  Whatever the reason, the pup has become quite shiny!

Although shiny from all of the people who've touched, this statue isn't nearly as popular as the previous one, thus you'll be able to touch St. John and make your wish.  On the bridge itself, see the cross with five stars?  Place the five fingers of your left hand on the stars and send a wish to someone (or to yourself) as you look into the Vlatava.  This is said to be the exact spot where the priest was thrown into the river in the year 1383.  Legend has it that stars appeared when he touched the water.

  Bruncvik 

He represents a mythical knight with a golden sword, a coat-of-arms and a faithful lion.  This statue is intended to remind the passers-by the rights of the Old Town, especially the right to take tolls and duty.  According to legend, Bruncvik was a Czech ruler who went to faraway countries to gain a right to have a stately coat-of-arms.  On his journey, he saved a lion from a dragon, and that lion then accompanied him everywhere he went, and thus a lion became the national emblem of Bohemia.  Bruncvik also acquired a magical  sword that protected him and could kill anybody on his demand.  Legend states that the sword was built up somewhere in the Charles Bridge and it will remain there until the country is ever in danger.  In 1890, a big rusty sword was really found in the bridge deck when the Charles Bridge was restored after a flood.

One of the most charming buildings in Prague...

Every evening someone comes out to light the lamp...

Lock up your love and throw away the key

Love locks adorn the Love Lock Wall in Malá Strana

 "Love can never grow old. Locks may lose their brown and gold. 

Cheeks may fade and hollow grow. But the hearts that love will know, 

never winter's frost and chill, summer's warmth is in them still."

A symbol of everlasting love...

 Water Sprite Kabourek sits at the Velkopřevorský Mill wheel.  He was created by sculptor Josef Nálepa, who is one of two people who made a portrait of Salvador Dalí

Apparently, Kabourek doesn´t like the love locks...

"Water sprites have various characteristics, e.g. they tend to like alcohol, pretty girls and so on. Kabourek is said to like bottled beer.  'He is good, although he looks gloomy.  He is only bad to bad people', Josef Nálepa describes Kabourek’s character.  'And he says that he will throw to the Vltava all those who put padlocks on the beautiful grids which make it impossible to see the bridge or the water sprite,' added Josef Nálepa.  'It is not a good habit, which originates somewhere in the east.  I think that the city should get rid of this unsightliness, so that we can have the beautiful old Prague'.  And one more thing.  The thing on top of Kabourek’s head is a little flame, which the water sprite uses as a light under water."

Kabourek is right...the locks do block the view of the old mill and most people probably don't even notice him sitting there 

Kabourek, you're going to have to take it up with this restaurant next door to the mill - they're selling locks to people

  

  

 More love locks at a different bridge overlooking Čertovka (Devil's Stream)

And even more love locks.  These are attached to a statue on the Charles Bridge.  That's just not right.