Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Loading...
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è Pasta... E Pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Green-Wood Cemetery, overlooking New York Harbor.
Where Our Team Looked for Joy During Pandemic Lockdowns
The 2,653-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail spans the entire West Coast from Canada to Mexico.
Meet the Volunteers Who Keep Thru-Hikers Moving
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House building on the U.S.-Canadian border.
Could New Border Restrictions Literally Tear the Haskell Free Library Apart?
A woman peering into the cave of Sarah Bishop c. 1900.
The Curious History of New England’s Hermit Tourism

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Czechia Prague Location of Saint John of Nepomuk's Martyrdom
AO Edited

Location of Saint John of Nepomuk's Martyrdom

A plaque marks the spot where the saint was shoved off the Charles Bridge and into the river.

Prague, Czechia

Added By
allisonkc
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Tableau on the Charles Bridge depicting Saint John at the bottom of the Vltava River.   allisonkc / Atlas Obscura User
Plaque on the Charles Bridge parapet demarcating where Saint John of Nepomuk was martyred.   Matt Borak/cc by-sa 3.0
Statue of Saint John of Nepomuk on the Charles Bridge, created by by artist Jan Brokoff in 1683 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the saint’s martyrdom.   A.Savin/free art license
In this plaque, Queen Joanna is forced to watch the execution of Saint John.   A.Savin/free art license
On the right, Queen Joanna can be seen in the confessional with Saint John.   A.Savin/free art license
Tourists lining up to see the plaques at the base of the Saint John statue.   Ysangkok/public domain
“Martyrdom of St. John Nepomuk” by Szymon Czechowicz, located in the National Museum in Warsaw.   wolnelektury.pl/public domain
St. Vitus Cathedral in background   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Saint Vitus Cathedral Memorial   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
This wrought-iron memorial marks the spot where John of Nepomuk was dumped in the river   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Saint at bottom of river  
John of Nepomuk’s statue on the bridge at night   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
The casket containing what are believed the remains of Saint John of Nepomuk inside Saint Vitus Cathedral.   Marwick42/cc by-sa 4.0
View of Saint Vitus Cathedral and the Castle Complex from the Charles Bridge.   allisonkc / Atlas Obscura User
Golden brass circle   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Close-up of Saint Vitus Cathedral Memorial   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

John of Nepomuk is a beloved Czech Saint and local icon of Prague. His gruesome demise at the hand of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia at one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, in part, led to his notoriety.

Per legend, Saint John was the confessor of Wenceslaus’s wife, Queen Joanna. An increasingly paranoid Wenceslaus pressed Saint John to divulge what Joanna had disclosed to him in the confessional, yet John refused. Incensed, the king ordered for John to be tortured and executed.

On March 20, 1393, the priest was thrown from the Charles Bridge into the Vltava River below. It was said that when John hit the water, five stars appeared in the sky over the river. As a result, Saint John is often depicted with a halo of five stars encircling his head. Due to the nature of his martyrdom, John of Nepomuk is considered to be the patron saint of protection from drowning and floods.

In actuality, the story of Saint John and Wenceslaus IV did involve some palace intrigue, but is certainly less salacious than the myth suggests. The contention between the king and the priest likely stemmed from a dispute over who had the authority to appoint clerics to hierarchical positions. Regardless of the reason for his martyrdom, John of Nepomuk was officially declared a canonized saint three centuries after his death.

It is the legend, however, that is the most popular version of events—as well as the one that's immortalized on the Charles Bridge. The very spot Saint John was said to be thrown from is demarcated by a plaque on the bridge's northernmost parapet, which bears a cross with five stars. Immediately above the plaque is a wrought-iron tableau depicting Saint John at the bottom of the Vltava.

The Charles Bridge is well-known for being lined with statues of Jesus, the Holy Family, and other saints, including John of Nepomuk. Located a few yards to the left of the plaque marking the location of his martyrdom is a statue of the saint. With a pained face, he is easily discernable by his iconic five-starred halo. If the Charles Bridge has heavy foot traffic, you’ll also be able to find the statue by the tourists lining up to see what is at its base: two placards depicting the saga leading to the priest’s demise. The plaque to the left is a scene in which Queen Joanna is in the confessional with Saint John; in the foreground, a knight pets a dog. No one seems to know exactly why the knight and his dog were incorporated into the scene, but it may be symbolism for loyalty. On the right-hand plaque, Queen Joanna is forced to watch as Saint John plummets into the river.

Visitors to the statue will notice that certain areas on these plaques have a shinier, more golden hue than the rest of their surroundings: the dog, the queen, and the saint. This effect comes from several years of visitors rubbing these plaques out of devotion or for good luck. One of the myths surrounding this ritual is that if you rub the image of Saint John, you'll one day return to Prague. (Hence the line of tourists surrounding the statue at busy times.)

From these tributes to John of Nepomuk on the Charles Bridge, you can look up to the hilltop Prague Castle Complex to see the final resting place of what are purported to be remains of the saint.

After his martyrdom, a body believed to belong to Saint John was recovered from the Vltava and laid to rest at Saint Vitus Cathedral within the castle complex. These remains were exhumed in the 18th century, when a shocking discovery was made: a piece of bright pink matter, believed to be a tongue, remained undecomposed. Regarded as a miracle, the Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk was constructed in the Czech town of Žďár nad Sázavou in 1723 to hold this relic.

The remains of Saint John of Nepomuk, including the purported tongue, were re-examined by forensic scientists in 1973. The bones, which were confirmed to be those of a middle-aged man, showed signs of violence— consistent with the torture endured by John before his execution. The “tongue,” however, was revealed to be congealed brain matter that had been preserved. Both the “tongue” and the rest of the body remain today at their respective resting places: the Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk and St. Vitus Cathedral.

Related Tags

Plaques Bridges Christianity Saints Statues Luck Legends

Know Before You Go

You can walk across the bridge at any time. The monument is located on the northern side, about midway close to the eastern expanse. There is also a memorial on the outside of southern section of St. Vitus Cathedral near Prague Castle.

Standing in front of the bridge memorial, one will notice a golden brass circle impeded in a brick along the walkway. The proper way to pay homage to the saint is to step on the circle with the left foot, with the left hand covering one's heart and the right hand reaching to touch either side of the memorial.

Community Contributors

Added By

allisonkc

Edited By

SEANETTA, katielou106, TAAtlas, phinkz0488

  • SEANETTA
  • katielou106
  • TAAtlas
  • phinkz0488

Published

January 29, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/czechs-celebrate-patron-saint-john-of-nepomuk
  • https://www.radio.cz/en/section/spotlight/church-of-st-john-of-nepomuk-seeped-in-symbolism
  • https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/church-of-st-john-nepomuk-on-zelena-hora-the-green-mountain
Location of Saint John of Nepomuk's Martyrdom
Karlův most
Prague
Czechia
50.08659, 14.410586
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Franz Kafka Museum

Prague, Czechia

miles away

Vinárna Čertovka

Prague, Czechia

miles away

Proudy

Prague, Czechia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Prague

Prague

Czechia

Places 82

Nearby Places

Franz Kafka Museum

Prague, Czechia

miles away

Vinárna Čertovka

Prague, Czechia

miles away

Proudy

Prague, Czechia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Prague

Prague

Czechia

Places 82

Related Places

  • The Italian Bride.

    Hillside, Illinois

    The Italian Bride

    Julia Buccola Petta's body was peculiarly well-preserved when it was exhumed six years after her death.

  • St. Paul’s Island.

    Malta

    St. Paul’s Island

    This tiny island is recognized as the site where St. Paul landed after a shipwreck in the first century.

  • The Golden Dove up close

    Darłowo, Poland

    King Eric's Golden Dove

    This statue is said to bring good luck to visiting lovebirds.

  • The cloisters

    Meritxell, Andorra

    Basílica Santuari de Nostra Senyora de Meritxell

    A beautiful modern church dedicated to the teleporting patron saint of Andorra.

  • Tokyo, Japan

    Maria of the Ant Village

    This church commemorates a venerable, yet nigh-forgotten woman who dedicated her life to the poor in post-war Tokyo.

  • The dragon bones seen hanging behind the altar.

    Venice, Italy

    'Dragon Bones' of Santa Maria e San Donato

    Hanging within this medieval church are the bones of a beast allegedly slain by a fourth-century saint.

  • An angry-looking cat on the side of the canal.

    Suzhou, China

    The Seven Cats of Shantang Street

    Thanks to a bit of wordplay, seven auspicious stone cats guard this ancient canalside street.

  • David Hume’s statue in front of St. Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    David Hume's Statue

    Touching this 18th-century Scottish philosopher’s toe allegedly conjures good fortune.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.