Throughout the years bridges have provided travelers with intriguing views, pleasant
walks, and special memories. Most were built with the purpose of
connecting places and to make life easier for everyone. They have
also been a source of inspiration for artists including The
Bridge in Monet's Garden (1895) by Claude Monet that was
painted in Giverney, France.
My vintage bridge photos
often bring back special memories of travels to Europe. Here are some favorites:
We
discovered the picturesque Janez's Bridge (pictured above)
when hiking around Lake Bohinj in the Julian Alps, Slovenia. The
Church of St. Janez Krstnik sits at the end of the bridge. The
popular Lake Bled is 17 miles away by bus.
The
Castelvecchio Bridge, also called the Scaliger Bridge,
connects Verona's medieval castle to the River Adige's left bank.
Originally built in the 14th century, it was totally
destroyed during WW II and reconstructed in the 1950s. It is
described by historian and author Valerio Manfredi as the most
beautiful, most medieval, and most arched bridge of all time.
They often come with a story like the Bridge of Sighs (1600 AD.) in Venice, Italy,
that connects a prison with the sentencing hall of Doge's Palace.
Because of the prisoners' sadness, it was known as the Bridge of
Sighs.
The Untere Schleuse
Bridge (1788) is a
covered wooden bridge in Thun, Switzerland. It also regulates water
flow for the River Aare. The medieval city, situated on alpine Lake
Thun is 19 miles southeast of Bern.
The Dom Luis I Bridge
(1886) spans the River Duoro and connects the city of Porto, Portugal
with the popular Port houses of Vila Nova de Gaia. The double-decker
metal bridge was built to accommodate vehicles, pedestrians and the
metro, offering spectacular views from all directions.
The Quiet Man Bridge
from the classic 1952 movie starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara is
located near Oughterard in Galway County, Ireland.
The bridge above was found among the
ruins of the Roman Forum (7 BC) in Rome, Italy.
This bridge in Ljubljana,
Slovenia is loaded with “love locks.” For those who left the
locks and tossed the keys, they probably won't be around when you
return. Unfortunately, their weight has caused structural damage to
the bridges and they are being removed.Someday in the future,
when the world is healthy again, I'm going to return to walk those old bridges of Europe again. It will be with a new appreciation for a
connection to the world like never before.
* * *
--In addition to man-made
bridges there are thousands of natural ones that are still being
discovered. The Natural Arch & Bridge Society website is
a great source of information.
--If interested, check out
the Free Dictionary to discover how many meanings there are for the word
“bridge.”
--What city in Europe has the most bridges? Hamburg, Germany. I'm intrigued by the idea of
another trip to Hamburg with the goal of walking across many of its 2,300
bridges—enjoying the canals, rivers, and streams along the way.
Related Posts: Bridges of Rome & the Tiber River 6/29/19 Bridges of Ljubljana (1/27/15) Inspirational Walking Bridge (3/6/13)
