Charles Bridge undergoes regular cleaning to protect medieval stonework
Anyone visiting Charles Bridge recently may have noticed workers suspended from ropes high above the Vltava or operating from boats below. They are carrying out regular maintenance to help keep one of Prague's most iconic landmarks in good condition.
Charles Bridge is not only Prague's best-known landmark but also one of the busiest historic bridges in Europe, with around 30,000 people crossing it every day. Keeping the nearly 700-year-old bridge in good condition requires regular maintenance, including a thorough cleaning every few years.
Bohumil Pánek, whose family-run stonemasonry and restoration company is carrying out the work, explains why the cleaning is so important.
“The work currently underway is done every few years to remove algae, moss, lichens and other biological growth from the stonework. This vegetation thrives in the damp environment and gradually damages the stone. The roots of mosses and lichens penetrate the surface, causing deterioration that, if left untreated, would eventually lead to serious damage.”
Since putting up scaffolding along the entire bridge would cost far too much, most of the cleaning is carried out by specialist rope-access technicians. They spray the stone with an environmentally friendly treatment, leave it for 24 hours to do its job and then wash the surface clean.
Before the treatment is applied, the team removes vegetation growing in cracks in the masonry and clears the bridge’s waterspouts so rainwater can drain away properly.
Pánek says caring for a medieval monument means combining centuries-old craftsmanship with modern conservation methods.
"We still use some of the same materials that the medieval master builder Petr Parléř used, such as lead, along with traditional tools. At the same time, we also use modern conservation products, and the challenge is to combine the two so the monument retains its original character."
Pánek’s company is one of the oldest family-run stonemasonry businesses in the Czech lands, with a history stretching back more than three and a half centuries.
"Our company has a long tradition of working on Gothic architecture. Charles Bridge is one of the monuments we care for, but our main priority has always been St. Vitus Cathedral. The company’s roots go back to 1673, and I represent the 12th generation of the family. My father worked on the reconstruction of Charles Bridge in the 1970s, when the company even had a stonemasonry workshop beneath the bridge. As a little boy, I used to run around there."
Pánek says the greatest satisfaction comes when people hardly notice the work that's been done.
“When a monument has been covered in scaffolding for a year, people come back afterwards and say, 'It looks exactly the same as before. What were they doing all that time?' For us, that's the greatest compliment. It means we've done the work properly.”
The cleaning work on Charles Bridge is expected to continue, with breaks, until late October or mid-November, before freezing weather sets in.
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