Gothic Bridge in Kłodzko

According to a 17th-century chronicler, in 1286 every village around Kłodzko had to hand over eggs — the whites went into the mortar for building the bridge, while town servants sold the yolks for a heller a spoonful. The Gothic bridge over the Młynówka channel is one of the oldest crossings of its kind in the region, and the six Baroque statues on its parapets have earned it the nickname of Kłodzko's miniature Charles Bridge, after the famous bridge in Prague.

History: a bridge built on eggs

The exact date of construction is unknown, as legends and chroniclers' accounts contradict each other. The town gives a period between 1281 and 1390, with the stone bridge replacing an earlier wooden crossing. It linked the old part of Kłodzko with Sand Island (Wyspa Piasek) and for centuries formed part of one of the town's main roads. The lime mortar was strengthened with egg whites — hence the story of the egg levy.

Gates stood at both ends. The upper gate served as a tower and was part of the town walls, while the lower one, built before 1469, was more of a toll barrier closed at night. Both were demolished in 1903–1904, when the fortifications were dismantled. In the 17th and 18th centuries the bridge was rebuilt, with parapets added and brick extensions on the piers. It has survived many floods, including the worst of all in 1997 — the highest water level is still marked on the structure.

What to see

The bridge is about 52–53 metres long, with four arched spans of sandstone voussoirs; the two outer arches are pointed. Ice-breakers survive at the base of the piers. The central pier is topped by a star-shaped platform prepared for a bridge chapel that was never built.

The parapets carry six statues funded by local nobles and townspeople:

• the Pietà of 1655 — the oldest, placed as a temporary measure where the chapel was meant to be, funded by the governor of Kłodzko, Count Johann Georg von Götzen, and his wife,
• St Wenceslas in armour, inscribed "Errichtet in Jahre 1715",
• St John of Nepomuk, funded by the governor's son, Franz von Götzen,
• St Francis Xavier — the town's votive offering after the plague of 1713–1714, with the figure of an American Indian holding a shield with Kłodzko's coat of arms (an exact copy has stood on the bridge since 1920),
• the Crucifixion with Mary Magdalene, from 1734,
• a late Baroque group of the Holy Trinity crowning the Virgin Mary, from 1714.

Interesting facts

The bridge is sometimes called "St John's Bridge", although the name has no historical basis — most people simply call it the Gothic bridge. It has been on the heritage register since 25 November 1949, and in 2014 it received a distinction in the national "Well-Kept Monument" competition for conservation work carried out in 2009 and 2013. On the square west of the bridge, Poland's first Dîner en blanc was held on 15 August 2020.

Tripto tip

The bridge is closed to cars and open around the clock, so make it part of a walk through the Old Town — from Sand Island across the bridge to the market square and on up to Kłodzko Fortress. 15–20 minutes is enough to look at the statues. The best view of the arches and piers is from Plac Miast Partnerskich, the square beneath the bridge on its eastern side.

In the evening the bridge is lit by period lamps from the early 20th century. Look out for the Indian figure below St Francis Xavier — one of the most surprising details of Baroque sculpture in the Kłodzko region.