Famous Bridges
Travel Guide > General guides > Famous Places and Things > Famous Bridges
Introduction
Bridges have, throughout history, been focal points of a town, city or region's development. The collection of bridges covered here includes everything from the historic bridges of small towns and cities in Europe, to the impressive new bridges of modernising Asian cities.
Asia
Garden Bridge, Shanghai
- Location: Shanghai, China
- Crosses: Suzhou Creek
- Date opened: 1907
- Length: 106.7 metres
- Span: 52.16 metres
- Type: Camelback truss bridge
The Garden Bridge is a unique bridge with a rich history. Known in China as the Waibaidu Bridge, it is in fact the 4th in a series of bridges located in the same spot on Suzhou Creek in the heart of Shanghai. The first of these was constructed in 1856; the current bridge was completed in 1907.
Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo
- Location: Tokyo, Japan
- Crosses: Tokyo Bay
- Date opened: 1993
- Length: 917 metres
- Span: 570 metres
- Type: Suspension bridge
Rainbow Bridge is a modern bridge echoing Tokyo's impressive skyline. The bridge has two decks: the upper deck has an expressway, while the lower deck carries a train line and another road. There are also two separate pedestrian walkways on the north and south sides of the bridge.
The Bridge over the River Kwai
- Location: Near Kanchanaburi, Thailand
- Crosses: Mae Khlung/Kwae Yai
- Date opened: 1943
- Type: Steel truss bridge
The Bridge over the River Kwai is famous for no other reason than the novel and film that popularised it in the 1950s. The bridge actually crosses the Mae Khlung, not the River Kwai, but after the book and film started producing an inflow of tourists, the Thais renamed part of the river to Kwae Yai, which means Big Kwai. The bridge has remained more or less unchanged since it was first built by prisoners of war during World War II.
Europe
Old Bridge, Mostar
- Location: Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Crosses: River Neretva
- Date opened: 1566
- Re-opened: July 23, 2004
- Length: 29 metres
- Type: Stone arch bridge
On November 9, 1993, with the nations of the former Yugoslavia involved in the Bosnian War, Croatian forces destroyed Mostar Bridge (locally known as Stari Most). Built in the middle of the 16th century by an Ottoman architect, the bridge crossed the River Neretva. Between 1999 and 2004, the Mostar Bridge was rebuilt, an important project funded by various international governments, including that of Croatia. In 2005, UNESCO named the bridge on its World Heritage List, along with the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Budapest
- Location: Budapest, Hungary
- Crosses: Danube River
- Date opened: November 20, 1849
- Length: 202 metres
- Type: Suspension bridge
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge is the symbolic and physical link between Buda and Pest and was in fact the first permanent connection between the two sides of Budapest. The bridge takes its name from István Széchenyi, who was a major supporter of the construction. When it was first built, it was remarkable for its majestic beauty - and it also played an important role in the development of Hungary's economy. Today, the bridge carries two lanes of traffic and remains an iconic landmark in the Hungarian capital.
Charles Bridge, Prague
- Location: Prague, Czech Republic
- Crosses: Vltava River
- Date opened: 1402
- Length: 516 metres
- Type: Stone bridge
It took half a century to build Charles Bridge (named after King Charles IV, who laid the bridge's first stone in 1357), but Prague needed it: after the Judith Bride was destroyed in 1342, the city had no bridge connecting the eastern and western shores of the temperamental Vltava River. The Charles Bridge became an important factor in the development of Prague, as the city became a strategic point between east and west. Now, the bridge is a pedestrian-only area and a hub of activity, featuring local Czech musicians, artists and street vendors.
Chapel Bridge, Lucerne
- Location: Lucerne, Switzerland
- Crosses: Reuss River
- Date opened: 1333
- Length: 204 metres
- Type: Wooden bridge
Chapel Bridge, or Kapellbrücke, is the oldest wooden bridge in Europe. It is a remarkable historic landmark in the Swiss town of Lucerne, and is one of the country's main tourist attractions. Connected to it is the Wasserturm (Water Tower), which has been used as a prison, torture chamber, watchtower and treasury. The bridge is covered. Inside, it features paintings by 120 triangular paintings by Kaspar Meglinger from the 17th century, depicting events from local history. After a fire in 1993, much of the bridge had to be reconstructed.
Ponte di Rialto, Venice
- Location: Venice, Italy
- Crosses: Grand Canal
- Date Opened: 1591
- Length: 28.80 metres
- Type: Stone arch bridge
The Ponte di Rialto (or Rialto Bridge) is the oldest of three bridges spanning Venice's Grand Canal. It was built as a replacement for a wooden bridge which had stood in its spot, but collapsed several times. The bridge's three stepped walkways are separated by two rows of small touristy shops. Originally critics disregarded the bridge as ugly and top-heavy. It has now become a Venetian icon and, alongside St. Mark's square, one of the city's most popular attractions.
Ponte Vecchio, Florence
- Location: Florence, Italy
- Crosses: Arno River
- Date Opened: Originally 996, last rebuilt in 1345
- Length: 84 meters
- Type: Stone Closed-Spandrel Segmental Arch Bridge
The Ponte Vecchio is one of the primary sights in Florence. The bridge is walled on both sides with shops, which were popular in medieval times. Originally butchers occupied these shops, but due to the animal waste degrading the water they were kicked out in 1593 and gold merchants moved in. To this day, there are several high end jewelry shops located on the Ponte Vecchio. No one knows why, but the Nazis did not destroy the Ponte Vecchio in World War II, even though they did destroy all the other bridges in Florence. Instead the Nazis blew up everything around the bridge so it could not be crossed.
Tower Bridge, London
- Location: London, England
- Crosses: River Thames
- Date opened: 1894
- Length: 244 metres
- Span: 61 metres
- Type: Combined bascule and suspension bridge
Named after nearby London Tower, the Tower Bridge is a popular London landmark stretching across the River Thames. The bridge's design is notable for its combination of a central bascule bridge (to allow for river traffic) with suspension bridges on either side. It has a distinctive Victorian Gothic style that is instantly recognisable and was intended to echo the London Tower.
Oresund Bridge, Denmark to Sweden
- Location: Between Copenhagen (Denmark) and Malmö (Sweden)
- Crosses: Oresund Strait
- Date opened: July 2, 2000
- Length: 7845 metres
- Span: 490 metres
- Type: Cable-stayed bridge
The Oresund Bridge is Europe's longest combined road and rail bridge. It stretches from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Malmö, Sweden and carries the Oresund Railway Line and European route E20. There is a toll charge for vehicles to get across (245 DKK/300 SEK for a standard car).
North America
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
- Location: San Francisco, USA
- Crosses: Golden Gate
- Date opened: May 27, 1937
- Length: 2,737 metres
- Span: 1,280 metres
- Type: Suspension bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a San Franciscan icon. It crosses over the Golden Gate, a 400-metre stretch of water separating the San Francisco Peninsula from Marin County. Built between 1933 and 1937 for $25.7 million, it was the world's longest suspension bridge until 1957. It is part of US Highway 101 and State Route 1, serving an average of 100,000 vehicles every day.
Brooklyn Bridge, New York
- Location: New York, USA
- Crosses: East River
- Date opened: 1883
- Length: 1834 metres
- Type: Suspension bridge
A New York icon, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the US's oldest suspension bridges, connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn across the East River. Granite gothic towers stand at each end of the bridge. Due to its special significance, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Visitors can cross the bridge on a wide pedestrian walkway and enjoy good views of East River, the harbour and downtown Manhattan.
Oceania
Sydney Harbour Bridge
- Location: Sydney, Australia
- Crosses: Darling Harbour
- Date opened: March 19, 1932
- Length: 1149 metres
- Span: 503 metres
- Type: Steel arch bridge
Alongside the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of the city's most famous structures. It is the world's widest long-span bridge, the highest steel arch bridge and the 4th-longest spanning-arch bridge. It is heavily used by local residents, as trains, cars, pedestrians and cyclists all use it.
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