Every since our descent from the trees, man has been trying to figure out ways to get around those things in nature that try to impede our progress. One big enemy has been the almighty body of water, whether it be river, lake or castle moat. In the beginning we just had to grin and bare it and get soaked if we wanted to travel past these obstacles. Over time, however, we developed engineering skills. One of the more amazing manifestations of this particular skill set has been the ability to construct bridges.
As the centuries pushed on, our bridges became more complicated and ended up being amazing works of art in their own right. From technological genius to just plain aesthetic appeal, we have been working to make bigger, better and more attractive bridges. I've compiled here a list of some of the more unique bridges that I could find. They aren't necessarily all the greatest feats of engineering skill, but the certainly all are something to look at. Enjoy!
Bastei Bridge - Germany
The BasteiBridge is located in the SaxonSwitzerlandNational Park, southeast of the historically renowned city of Dresden. Its purpose is to span the ElbeRiver and it does this at a height of more than 600 feet. This epic-looking stone bridge is built across a series of rock formations and was, in its first incarnation, a structure of wood. Sandstone replaced the wood in 1851, though the amazing view it affords of the surrounding landscape is still intact. BasteiBridge is also part of a larger network of hiking trails that range into the neighboring countries of the Czech Republic and Switzerland, so it’s easy to take a visit as part of a more extensive outdoor adventure.
Chengyang Bridge - Guangxi, China
Chengyang is also known as the Wind and RainBridge, a title is holds courtesy of the local ethnic group that built it. It is so called because of the fact that its covered design grants it the capability to keep out the wind and the rain. Constructed in 1916, Chengyang is composed of wood and stone and was erected without the use of a single nail, instead relying on clever engineering to keep it together. It spans the LinxiRiver and while it is but one of many of these indigenously built bridges, it does happen to be the most famous. It is also just one of many great places to see and things to do in GuangxiProvince, if you happen to visit.
Helix Bridge - Singapore
This one is by far my favorite on the list. It is a recent construction, put together by a group of Australian architects in 2010. The way it was designed, it looks like something that came straight out of a science fiction novel. It also happens to be a truly innovative feat of engineering, as an extreme amount of precision was needed in order to both make the bridge appear as it does and still keep it functional. Helix holds the title of longest pedestrian bridge in Singapore at more than 900 feet. It has four platforms for visitors to enjoy the view, is covered in a canopy of glass and steel and is illuminated at night via a series of LED lights. Singapore has plenty more to see than just the bridge, though it should almost certainly be on any tourist’s list.
Henderson WavesBridge - Singapore
The next is another one from Singapore, a land that seems to have a thing for modern and unique bridges. This one holds a different record as the tallest pedestrian bridge in the country. It is a crazy looking, wave-like structure of steel and wood whose purpose is to connect two parks. It offers a commanding view of the surrounding nature, complete with areas to sit down and relax. This one too is lit by night and creates quite the spectacle once the sun goes down. For more awesome images of HendersonWavesBridge, check out this site.
Khaju Bridge - Esfahan, Iran
Being a land of limited water, one wouldn’t think of Iran as a place to find one of the world’s more beautiful bridges. KhajuBridge, however, is definitely an architectural wonder. Built by a Persian king in the 17th century, this stone structure is composed of arches and centered with a pavilion and the façade looks a bit like some sort of a palace. The two-leveled structure crosses the ZayandehRiver and also serves as a dam for that body of water, an essential part of controlling the water for purposes of upstream irrigation. More pictures of this spectacular structure can be seen here.
Viaduc de Millau - Tran Valley, France
This one I chose for the list despite it being a more modern-looking structure. Though it looks much like any other bridge, the glory of the Viaduc de Millau rests in its truly epic scale. It is the world’s highest bridge built for vehicles and the tallest of its columns reaches more than 750 feet from the valley floor. First proposed during the mid-90s as a solution to traffic in the area, it was finally opened in 2004. It utilized many innovative engineering designs in its construction and is quite a site to behold.
Moses Bridge - Netherlands
MosesBridge is a tiny little pathway, its uniqueness coming from the fact that it does not, as most bridges do, cross over the water, but instead goes right through it. It was put together as part of a restoration program involving many old fortresses in the Netherlands and the purpose was to create something that didn’t stand out in the landscape. This wooden structure is submerged in the river it crosses, though it’s waterproof so don’t worry about getting your feet wet.
Ponte Vecchio - Florence, Italy
Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in the city of Florence and perhaps the most famous. It originally dates back to Roman times, though it was reconstructed after being destroyed in a flood in 1333. A rather plain-looking stone bridge, its appeal comes from the shops that were built into its length. Later, a corridor was added above the main bridgeway so that the Medici didn’t have to mingle with the rest of the common folk, so the structure is now two stories. It is, however, quite a tourist attraction because of this unique look, so it’s often filled with people, including entertainers and such.
Da Vinci bridge photo courtesy of Asmund Odegard via Wikicommons
BasteiBridge photo courtesy of bet hec han geu wan t2c via Wikicommons
ChengyangBridge photo courtesy of gill_penney via Wikicommons
HelixBridge photo courtesy of William Cho via Wikicommons
HendersonWavesBridge photo courtesy of Kok Leng Yeo via Wikicommons
KhajuBridge photo courtesy of Siasard via Wikicommons
Viaduc de Millau photo courtesy of Stefan Krause via Wikicommons
MosesBridge photo courtesy of freshome.com
Ponte Vecchio photo courtesy of Markus Bernet via Wikicommons
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