The most remarkable bridges in Europe

Europe is home to some of the most remarkable architecture in the world. Among the more impressive sights is its extensive collection of bridges, spread throughout the continent. Everyone knows about London Bridge from the famous nursery rhyme, but here’s a handful of other bridges that are just as captivating.

The Tower Bridge - London, United Kingdom

While London Bridge may be the one that’s sung about, it’s Tower Bridge that’s truly impressive (and much more recognizable). Standing 213 feet tall and spanning 800 feet across, the Tower Bridge is only half a mile up the River Thames from London Bridge.

Construction began on June 21, 1886, and wrapped up on June 30, 1894, just over eight years later. Designed by English architect Horace Jones, Jones passed away a year after construction started, so he was only able to see the bridge in its infancy.

The bridge was constructed to give easier access to London’s East End. It’s owned and maintained by the Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust foundation that was founded in 1282.

Presently, the bridge connects the Southwark borough with Tower Hamlets and sees 40,000 crossings every day.

The Ponte Vecchio - Florence, Italy

The Ponte Vecchio, which crosses the Arno River at its narrowest point, is notable for having shops built along it, which was a common practice at one point in time. While the shops used to house butchers, tanners, and the like, you can now find art dealers and souvenir shops, opened to no doubt take advantage of this tourism hotspot.

The association of butchers had monopolized the marketplace from 1442 until 1595 when butcher shops were banned from the bridge in an effort to clean it up and enhance its prestige. This is when jewelry stores began to pop up and take their place.

It’s unknown when the bridge was initially built, but the first recorded mention of it is in a document from 996. It was then destroyed in a flood in 1117. The current bridge was rebuilt in 1345. During World War II, the Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge in Florence that the German army did not destroy, though the massive Arno flood of 1966 severely damaged it.

The Bastei Bridge - Elbe Sandstone Mountains, Germany

The Bastei, a rock formation located above Germany’s Elbe River in Saxony, has been a tourist attraction for over 200 years. In 1824, a wooden bridge connecting several of the rocks was built to help tourists get around. In 1851, that bridge was torn down and rebuilt using sandstone and that’s the bridge that remains to this day.

The bridge sits almost 200 meters above the Elbe River and 305 meters above sea level. The jagged rock formation is the result of water erosion that took place over one million years ago.

Sadly, due to recent renovation work, the bridge’s panoramic view platform is no longer accessible. However, the rest of the bridge is still open to tourists, year-round and with no fee.