Vltava Bridge at Sunrise

I caught this just after sunrise on May 31st, 2023, and honestly, it couldn't have been more perfect. I'd been walking along the Vltava River before most of the city had stirred, and as I stood on Charles Bridge looking over to my left, I saw this view of the Mánesův Bridge and knew I had to capture it. Mánesův Bridge was completed in 1914, designed by engineer Mečislav Borovanský in the Art Nouveau style. It connects the Old Town with the Holešovice district across the Vltava.

The bridge looked like it was glowing—those distinctive Art Nouveau lampposts catching the golden morning light, the five stone arches spanning 580 feet across the river, the water dead calm creating perfect mirror reflections. The whole riverbank was lit up in that dreamy golden light you only get first thing in the morning when the sun is low and the air is still cool from the night. The neoclassical buildings lining the Smetana Embankment on the right bank were catching that warm glow, their yellow and pastel facades typical of Prague's historic architecture.

I used my Canon R5 with the 24-105mm lens at 87mm for a tighter crop, shooting at 1/400 second, f/9, and ISO 100—fast enough to capture the gentle ripples in the Vltava's reflections. There was barely a soul around—no crowds on Charles Bridge behind me, very little noise. Just me, the sound of the river, and that view. It was Prague at its calmest, like the city had been put on pause.

This moment is all about stillness and glow, capturing Prague in its most peaceful state. The 110-year-old Mánesův Bridge in Art Nouveau elegance, the soft morning colours painting the neoclassical embankment buildings, the reflections on the river doubling the beauty—everything was just working. It's a timeless moment that brings together architecture, light, and the quiet magic of a city before it fully wakes.

When you look at this photograph, I want you to feel that morning peace—standing on Charles Bridge watching sunrise illuminate Mánesův Bridge's Art Nouveau arches across the Vltava, where 1914 engineering elegance meets neoclassical embankment architecture in the golden glow of a Prague morning before the city's daily rhythm begins.