Most of us have heard the saying “We will cross that bridge when we come to it.” This saying suggests not to worry about things until they actually happen. We like to change it up a bit and think of it as a travel challenge. Let’s make things happen. Let’s cross each bridge as we come to. Let’s cross bridges with amazing history, fascinating architecture and natural beauty. Let’s bridge the gap between different cultures by experiencing them first hand.
Don’t know where to start? Here’s a list of 10 Beautiful Bridges in Europe you should cross.
Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd) over the River Danube in Budapest, Hungary.
We highly recommend walking across this bridge vs. driving. It is stunning at night! The bridge which connects Buda to Pest, is made of 50,000 chains and is the most photographed bridge in Budapest. If you go around sunset, you will have great views of the Parliament Building.
Hohenzollern Bridge crosses the Rhine River in the city of Cologne, Germany.
You can walk or drive across the bridge. It is filled with locks as a sign of love. Lots of great photo opps of the Rhine River during the day and of the Kolner Dom Cathedral you see here in the background, both day and night.
Tower Bridge, London England
If you have the time we suggest not only walking across the Tower Bridge, but also take the tour to the top and visit the engine rooms to see how the bridge operates. Admission is included if you have a London Pass. Crossing the bridge offers great views of the Thames River.
Pont du Gard, France
This was a Roman aqueduct that was built over 2,000 years ago. There is a museum, a couple of cafe’s and shops, as well as a park with beautiful olive trees. It’s a great area for a picnic. For an additional fee you can walk the top section of the viaduct.
Rialto Bridge, Venice
There are several bridges you should walk across in Venice, but from the Rialto you can enjoy the most amazing views of the Grand Canal. There are lots of shops and cafes on either side, although you will pay top dollar for the view. We recommend walking to the Rialto Bridge (and even getting lost along the way,) but please note that the area is usually quite crowded, so you will have to be patient to get a spot for good photos. You can also get to the bridge by water taxi or gondola.
Ponte Vecchio, Florence
We love the history of the bridge, as it is the oldest and only remaining bridge after WWII that crosses the Arno river. It’s a nice walk across. Expect lots of pricey jewelry vendors. In the evening there are usually local musicians and singers. Here’s an interesting fact. The Vasari corridor that was built above the bridge connects the Palazzo Pitti and the Palazzo Vecchio and is accessible via the Uffizi Gallery. This passageway was used by the Medici family. This passage is normally not open to the public so if you want to take a look try calling or writing a letter in advance of your visit.
Bordeaux River Bridge (Pont de Pierre)
A great example of Napoleanic architecture, this bridge offers a very romantic setting at night. The views from the bridge are breathtaking. If you have a couple of hours, we suggest you start at Pont de Pierre and walk to the new bridge called Le Pont Jacques Chaban Delmans. It’s a great walk with lots of photo opps.
Chapel Bridge Lucerne (Kapellbrucke)
Built in 1333, this is a wooden bridge which crosses the Reuss River. It is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe. Inside you can find painting dating back to the 17th century illustrating the history of Lucerne. Sadly, many paintings were destroyed in a fire in the 1990’s, but you can still see around 25 original paintings. This bridge looks like it belongs in a fairytale.
The Old Bridge (Stari Most) Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
This original bridge (Ottoman bridge) was built in the 16th century and stood for 427 years. The bridge was destroyed (in the 1990’s) during the Croat-Bosniak War. The bridge reconstruction was completed in 2004. They made an effort to make the bridge as close to the original as possible with the same materials, which was tenelia stone from the region. There is a museum that will give you the fascinating history. The area surrounding is quaint with cobbled stone streets, shops and restaurants. Be careful as it is steep, and also slippery walking across when wet. You can take a day trip from Dubrovnik to visit Mostar. For great pictures of the bridge head to the local mosque, which is also worth visiting. Adventure seekers can pay to jump off the bridge (about a 73 foot drop) into very cold waters. It is estimated you are going 45 to 50 mph by the time you hit the water. Please note they will coach you on how to jump, but this is quite dangerous and not for the faint of heart.
Puente Nuevo Bridge Ronda Spain
As you can imagine there are incredible panoramic views from this bridge. It took over 42 years to complete. If you are afraid of heights don’t look down, as it is about 390 feet looking down into the Guadalevin River gorge. It was built by the Romans, and spans a thousand foot crevasse. The towns on either side have shopping, restaurants filled with tapas, paella and Spanish wines and beautiful countryside. It’s hard to tell from this photo, but you can also go down to the lower part of the bridge and look up to appreciate the construction of the bridge. Interesting fact: Beneath the arch there is a chamber that was used as a prison during the Spanish Civil War. It also happens to be a great place for bird watching. Eurasian Griffon (vulture), Red-billed Chough (in the crown family), Woodchat Shrike, Booted Eagles, Bonelli’s Eagles and Great Spotted Cockoos are often see in this area.
European travel mastery requires knowing the continent’s unique nuances. Our advisors’ Common Mistakes to Avoid When Traveling to Europe guide is your foundation.
