Superstition abounds on Prague"s Charles Bridge, dating back to its construction in 1357. Builders laid the original bridge stone on July 9 at exactly 5:31 AM, the year, date, and time represented by a precise set of numbers that formed a palindrome: 135797531 (or 1357 9, 7 5:31). The sequence, which reads the same backward and forward, is carved onto the stones of the Old Town Bridge Tower at the east end of the bridge and was believed to bring a kind of magical strength to the structure. But the superstition didn"t stop there. The bridge was also constructed in perfect alignment with the tomb of Saint Vitus and the setting sun on the equinox. A more recent superstition involves the statue of the revered Saint John of Nepomuk that stands on the bridge—according to folklore, rubbing the plaque at the base of the statue will grant you a wish.
Cross this bridge if you dare
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Pretty poetic for a pit
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World Poetry Day
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‘Ocian in view! O! The joy.’
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Western Monarch Day
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Stepping stones in Tollymore Forest Park, Northern Ireland
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Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
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Into the woods
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Southern lights for Antarctica Day
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Keep your hands inside the ride at all times…
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The birth of Bauhaus
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A Christmas market with a long history
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International Day of the World s Indigenous Peoples
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Class, please take out a No. 2 pencil…
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Oh, the places you’ll go
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Mossy Grotto Falls, Oregon
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Autumnal equinox
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Shining like Klondike gold
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Our Lady of the Rocks
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Earth at Perihelion
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Toledo, Spain
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Misool Island, Indonesia
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In praise of bogs, swamps, and marshes
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‘Think equal, build smart, innovate for change’
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Balloons and camels are two ways to catch a ride here
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World Reef Day
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Daylight saving time
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‘Fringe’ takes center stage as Edinburgh celebrates the arts
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Lake Tai s cherry trees in bloom
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New Year s Eve
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Easter