Was surprised how many I’ve been able to see with my own eyes:
James Lucas
@JamesLucasIT5h • 28 tweets • 9 min read • Read on X
Thread of the most beautiful bridges on Earth
1. Golden Bridge, Vietnam
2. Millau Viaduct, France
As the tallest bridge in the world, it offers the unique experience of driving above the clouds.
3. Ponte Vecchio, Italy
Known for its charming shops, this marvel has been a lively marketplace since the 14th century. It was the only bridge in Florence spared in WWII: legend has it that the Fuhrer himself ordered its preservation, finding it too beautiful to destroy.
4. Puente Nuevo in Ronda, Spain
A magnificent bridge spanning a (390 ft) 120-meter-deep chasm and connecting the city across the Guadalevín River.
5. Moon Bridge in Guangzhou, China
6. Pont du Gard, France
This beauty is one of the best-preserved Roman aqueduct bridges in existence. Built in the first century AD to carry water over 50 km to the colony of Nemausus, it was added to UNESCO's list of WHS in 1985 due to its exceptional preservation.
7. Tower Bridge, London
This architectural wonder was constructed in the late 1800s to connect the 39 percent of London's population that lived east of London Bridge, equivalent to the populations of "Manchester on the one side, and Liverpool on the other".
8. Charles Bridge, Prague
One of the most stunning bridges ever built, its construction began in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV and was completed in the early 15th century.
9. Øresund Bridge
This marvel of engineering connects Sweden and Denmark with a tunnel under the sea. It is the longest bridge in Europe and links the road and rail networks of Scandinavia with those of Western Europe.
10. Liberty Bridge in Budapest, Hungary
11. Devil's Bridge, Germany
Known as Rakotzbrücke, this bridge was designed to form a perfect circle with its reflection in the water. Many European bridges share this nickname, as their miraculous construction led to legends that they were built by Satan himself.
12. Golden Gate Bridge, United States
In 1987, around 800,000 people gathered on the Golden Gate Bridge for its 50th anniversary, causing it to sag 7 feet and lose its convex shape. Engineer Daniel E. Mohn confirmed the bridge was not overstressed by Bridgewalk '87.
13. The Bridge of Sighs, Venice
Lord Byron coined its English name, which translates from the Italian "Ponte dei sospiri," implying that prisoners sighed at the beauty of Venice before being led to their cells.
14. Mostar Bridge, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The original structure, designed in 1566 by the chief architect of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, was destroyed during the Croat–Bosniak War in 1993 but was faithfully rebuilt in 2004.
15. Pont Alexandre III, Paris
16. Brooklyn Bridge in NYC, United States
17. Devil's Bridge, Tuscany, Italy
Similar to the German bridge mentioned earlier, this Tuscan beauty is one of several medieval bridges called "Bridge of the Devil." It was a crucial river crossing on the Via Francigena, the key pilgrimage route from France to Rome.
18. Vasco da Gama Bridge, Portugal
19. Chenab Bridge, India
Standing 359 meters above the Chenab River, this is the tallest rail bridge ever constructed.
20. This unique bridge allows you to go "cycling through water" in the De Wijers nature reserve in Belgium.
The bridge traverses a large lake, dipping low enough to bring cyclists eye level with the water.
21. Lake Ponchartrain Causeway, United States
Measuring slightly more than 38 kilometers, it holds the Guinness World Record for longest continuous span over water in the world. It is composed of two parallel bridges crossing Lake Pontchartrain in southeastern Louisiana.
22. Allahverdi Khan Bridge, Iran
Also known as Si-o-se-pol, the "Bridge of Thirty-Three Spans" is the largest of the eleven historic bridges on the Zayanderud River in Isfahan, Iran. Built in the early 17th century, it functions as both a bridge and a dam.
23. Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy
It’s astonishing to think that this magnificent bridge is nearly 500 years old: it was designed by Antonio da Ponte in 1588 and completed in 1591.
24. In the Netherlands there is a unique "reverse bridge" called Veluwemeer Aquedict.
25. The massive Roman aqueduct built in Segovia, Spain, by emperor Trajan (first century AD).
An incredible feat of Roman engineering, this structure has stood for two millennia, with each stone precisely cut to interlock perfectly and remain stable through gravity alone.
26. In Iceland there is a bridge that reproduces the appearance of a sword, serving as a nod to the nation's Viking roots.
27. Wildlife crossing in Banff, Canada
Paired with fencing to prevent animals from accessing the road, these grassy bridges have cut animal-vehicle collisions in the area by over 80%.
28. Ponte Sant'Angelo, Rome
Originally known as the Aelian Bridge, this Roman bridge was completed in 134 AD by Emperor Hadrian to span the Tiber River from the city center to his newly built mausoleum: Castel Sant'Angelo.
• • •
