Písek Stone Bridge, Gothic stone bridge in Písek, Czech Republic
The Stone Bridge of Písek is a medieval crossing over the Otava River in the historic center of this South Bohemian town. The construction rests on six heavy pillars of stone that carry seven arches and span roughly 110 meters (360 feet) from bank to bank.
The crossing was built under King Otakar II during the second half of the thirteenth century as part of the trading routes through Bohemia. The structure survived several floods over the centuries and was last restored after the high water of 2002.
Locals call it the Stag Bridge after a legend: the bridge was to be named for the first being to cross it, and a stag from the surrounding woods stepped onto it first. Most people in Písek still say Old Bridge; the official name Kamenný most v Písku was settled in 2007.
The bridge carries a 4.5 m roadway within its 6.25 m width, so walkers share a narrow deck with the parapet close at hand. Fragments of the two lost bridge towers, recovered from the riverbed, are displayed on the left bank just beyond the bridge.
This is the oldest preserved bridge in the Czech Republic and among the earliest stone crossings in Central Europe. Few constructions of this kind from the thirteenth century have survived to the present day in their original form.
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