Čech Bridge
Architect: Jan Koula, Jiří Soukup, František Mencl
Year of completion: 1908
The shortest bridge in Prague, yet also the largest Art Nouveau structure in the Czech Republic. The Čechův Bridge, spanning 169 meters, connects Pařížská Street with the Edvard Beneš Embankment. During its construction, there were plans to connect it to the planned Letná Relief Tunnel. However, this grand vision did not materialize, and today the bridge leads only to the staircase of the former Stalin Monument. The bridge is truly unique, not only due to its Art Nouveau details but also because of its split pillars and steel arches. It features magnificent toll collector’s booths in the form of majestic columns with statues of geniuses by Antonín Popp. The pillars themselves are adorned with a pair of bronze statues of female torchbearers on one side and a quartet of hydras on the other. In the original plans, the torchbearers would have emitted real flames, and water would have flowed from the hydras. This concept may become a reality in the future.
