Jul 19, 2025

Restore or Reconstruct? Prague is in a Conundrum Over the Vyšehrad Railway Bridge

Prague Morning

Prague is divided over the future of the historic Vyšehrad Railway Bridge, with some calling for a restoration against plans from the bridge’s administrator to replace it in an attempt to ease the city’s increasing congestion.

At the heart of the debate is a plan by the Railway Administration to dismantle the city’s 124-year-old Steel bridge spanning the Vltava river and to replace it with a modern, three-track rail crossing to meet transport demands.

Meanwhile, the old bridge would be moved South, and repurposed for pedestrians and cyclists. “It’s important to respect its heritage value, but we also acknowledge that it is a technical structure that must primarily serve its function,” says Matouš Hutník, Head of the Institute of Planning and Development of the Capital City of Prague’s (IPR) Communications Office.

The bridge’s safety has been a longstanding concern, with current railway operations limited due to its deteriorating condition. At the same time, architects, heritage institutions, and residents warn that replacing it would endanger both the city’s cultural heritage and its public space. Earlier this week, the World Heritage Committee formally recommended that Prague restore the bridge rather than replace it.

The structure is located in the buffer zone of Prague’s Historic Centre, which has been protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992.

In late October 2024, the Vyšehrad Bridge Foundation, an international group of experts advocating for the bridge’s preservation, submitted a restoration plan that was endorsed by the National Monuments Institute (NPÚ) – the state heritage authority. Already in 2023, nearly 20,000 people signed a petition opposing demolition. Hopes for a balanced solution are still there.

“The debate around the bridge has become highly polarised, but we hope we’re moving toward a solution that respects both the monument’s heritage and the operational needs of the railway,” says Matouš Hutník.

Also, a local association supporting public, pedestrian, and bicycle transport, takes a middle ground in the debate:

“Solid cycling measures can be implemented both with the construction of a new bridge and with the preservation of the existing one, provided that a footbridge is added,” says Anna Kociánová, Head of Communication and PR at AutoMat.

The standoff reflects broader tensions in Prague around the future of public space, and the value of cultural landmarks against overdue maintenance and increasing mobility demands.

The bridge is the latest monument in Prague that has been brought to attention for its deteriorating condition, after Prague’s Municipal District 7 closed the area around the Letná Metronome for safety reasons for the second time since 2019, leaving the popular open-air club run by the Stalin Cultural Centre without a new lease.

 

Text: Josephine Böllhoff, Lamija Kovačević Photo: Josephine Böllhoff 

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