How to photograph Charles Bridge: best spots and tips

Photograph Charles bridge from 6 different spots, and get the perfect photo of Prague!

Prague is one of the most visited cities in Europe, with almost 7 million people roaming its streets every year. There are hundreds of reasons to include Prague in your itinerary. From the historical heritage to the cute old town streets, and let’s face it, the cheap beer is also the main reason for some travelers.

All of them, though, when visiting Prague, want to take the perfect photo that summarizes their trip. For many tourists, it is a picture of the famous Charles Bridge. However, this means that everyone is taking the same photo, from the same spot, and at the same hour.

Don’t get me wrong, it is a nice photo, and you will certainly have a wonderful memory of your trip. Yet, if you really want to get something a bit different, you will need to do things differently, and at a different time of the day. Sorry for that, but this means getting up quite early. Almost all of the locations listed below are perfect for a sunrise photograph mission at Charles Bridge.

You do not necessarily need an expensive camera, or a tripod to take these photos, but using any of them will certainly help. Don’t forget, though, that taking good photos is a matter of skill and practice, spending money on gear will not make you take better photos.

Ready to discover the best places where to photograph Charles Bridge from?

Charles Bridge

Yes, one of the best places from where you can photograph Charles Bridge is the bridge itself. This might sound a bit obvious, but of course, there is a catch. If you want to take a perfect photo from the bridge itself, your only option is to wake up very early. Unless your goal is to take a photo of the bridge full of people, get there before the sun rises.

Not only you will be (almost) alone, but you will also enjoy the beautiful night lights on the bridge, as well as (hopefully) a nice sunrise. Nonetheless, the bridge is worth photographing even in non-optimal conditions. Fog, clouds, snow… they are all perfect conditions to photograph Charles Bridge.

Note that the ideal time to take a sunrise photo there changes depending on the month of the year. Especially during the summertime, the sun rises really early in the morning. Night time is also a good moment to take a beautiful photo of Charles Bridge. However, it will take some time to have the bridge for yourself, especially during summer.

Kampa – Cihelna Park

2 spots in 1? Yes! If you don’t want to wake up early (although I really encourage it), and still take a photo of Charles Bridge without anyone on it, you definitely need to visit the Kampa area and Cihelna Park. Both green areas are located on the western side of Prague, at a mere 3-minute walk from Charles Bridge.

From there, you will have an uninterrupted view over the bridge and the eastern side of the city. After the typical photo taken from the bridge itself, this is probably the second most famous spot and is usually seen on Instagram. It is from there that you can get the fantastic view of the Charles Bridge with swans in the foreground.

There are a few differences between Kampa and Cihelna. I honestly prefer Cihelna Park, but it is also way smaller, so there can be more people around. You will not have any problem taking a photo from there, but the photo will look like most of the ones you’ve seen online. From Kampa, though, there’s more room for creativity, but the view is somehow less impressive.

Looking for a cool sunrise spot? Then Cihelna Park is your safe bet! Cool reflections, boats, wildlife, and a stunning view over Charles Bridge! Otherwise, the blue hour from there is also really worth it!

Klub Lávka

This is the name of a restaurant. But don’t worry, you won’t need to pay to get this photo. The only reason why I am listing a Club here is that from its exact location on google maps you can get a quite unique view of the Charles Bridge and the Vltava river. This spot is especially recommended for those that like a bit more movement in their photos.

It might not be the best spot to take a cool photo for Instagram (or maybe yes, who knows), but it is a place where you get a different view of the Vltava river. The photo below speaks for itself. There is a small waterfall just next to the Club, and it creates a very interesting foreground for a photo with both Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle.

To be 100% honest, I am not sure if when the bar is open you can get to the viewpoint, but I can assure you that at 8 am no one bothered me when I was taking the photo below. Try to imagine it with a cool sunrise sky, my time in Prague was scarce with cool sunrises and sunsets.

Charles Bridge main tower

To all the photographers out there: this is your spot. The place from where you will take THE Prague photo. The main Charles Bridge tower is a fantastic viewpoint that appears in almost every Prague article I have written. Of course, there is a good reason for that. It is the most photographer Prague viewpoint, and the view makes the entry fee worth it.

But not only the “tripod” photographers will enjoy this place. Anyone that wants a good selfie, photo or just to enjoy a nice view of Prague should climb to the top of the Charles Bridge Tower. From its top, you can get a unique view of the bridge, with some of the most well-known tourist attractions in the background: Prague Castle, St. Nicholas Church, the lesser Charles Bridge tower…

Photos from this viewpoint are nice no matter the time of the day. But I have to say there is an optimal time to be there, and it is sunset. The sunset/blue hour photograph from the top of Charles Bridge tower is a classical shot of the city, but also one of the most beautiful ones. Don’t miss it!

St. Vitus Cathedral tower

Until now, all the spots I have listed are almost next to the Charles Bridge, or on the bridge itself. Nonetheless, there are a couple of extra spots from where you can photograph Charles Bridge. The first one is the highest elevated point of Prague’s Castle, Saint Vitus’ Cathedral tower. I have another guide dedicated to photographing Prague Castle, but there is no doubt that the best aerial view of the city is seen from, the castle grounds.

This is not a spot from where you can get a close-up of the bridge or capture some details. It is a way to understand how the bridge merges into the city, and put some scale to its size and position. It is a really cool spot where a good zoom is quite useful. However, if you are looking for a less distant location to photograph Charles Bridge, hop to the next and last spot, Letna Park.

Letna Park

Prague is full of beautiful parks and gardens. Almost all of them are free, and a fantastic place to spend a slow afternoon/evening in the city. However, if you are looking for a park with views, you should consider Letna Park. Especially if the views you are after include the Charles Bridge on them.

Letna Park is not located at the heart of the old town but is easily reachable on foot or by public transport. Its situation is what made me include it in this list. It is a bit elevated and has really good views over the city. What makes it special, though, is a specific viewpoint, this one. From there, it is possible to see some of the main bridges of the city aligned, with the Charles Bridge in the center of the image. This makes this spot quite famous among photographers.

Unlike St. Vitus cathedral tower the view from Letna is more realistic, not as elevated, and from a completely different angle. This would be a perfect place for an Instagram photo that not everyone has and that is really easy to take. If you make it there, spend some time in the park. During the summer months, there are the so-called beer gardens, specific areas where you can grab a Czech beer and enjoy the sunset views.

Are you ready to go take your perfect Charles Bridge photography? If not, feel free to send me any questions on my Instagram (@aniolvisuals), and follow me for more travel content! Make sure to visit my full guide on Prague, with many other articles, photo spots, tips on how to photograph the city, and much more. For any other inquiries, send a message at hello@aniolvisuals.com