Písek

If it weren't for Písek's 700-year-old Gothic bridge peopled with baroque statues, you could easily skip it. Compared with the picturesque Ceský Krumlov or even Trebon, Písek's main square, Velké námestí, is dull, despite the many handsome Renaissance and baroque houses. However, the bridge, a five-minute walk from the main square along Karlova ulice, was built in the 1260s—making it the oldest bridge in the Czech Republic, surpassing Prague's Charles Bridge by 90 years. Not too shabby. Premysl Otakar II commissioned it, seeking a secure crossing for his salt shipments over the difficult-to-ford Otava River. As early as the 9th century Písek stood at the center of one of the most important trade routes to the west, linking Prague to Passau and the rest of Bavaria. In the 15th century it became one of five major Hussite strongholds. The statues of saints weren't added to the bridge until the 18th century. During the devastating floods of 2002, one of the statues was damaged and all the paving stones washed away, but the bridge itself survived and has now been nicely restored.