Interesting bridges in Switzerland
A traveler shared insights about the Säckingerbrücke, the longest wooden covered bridge in Europe, connecting Switzerland and Germany. They highlighted its rich history and the ongoing closure due to the Covid-19 crisis, while also encouraging others to explore various bridges in Switzerland.
- Visit the Säckingerbrücke for a historical experience and enjoy the beautiful views across the Rhine River.
- Always check the current status of the bridges before planning your visit, as some might be closed due to health or safety regulations.
- The Swiss Travel Pass can be a great way to explore various attractions in Switzerland, including landmarks like the Säckingerbrücke.
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On another thread entitled “Sharing favorite Swiss villages/towns“, Annika mentioned a wooden bridge in Olten and also Rheinfelden as a place to visit. Over the years I’ve done quite a bit of poking along both sides of the Rhein all the way from the Bodensee (Lac de Constance) to Basel (Bâle) and I thought it would be nice to introduce people to a bridge that I like that spans the Rhein from Stein (AR) to Bad Säckingen in Germany. The Swiss refer to it as the Säckingerbrücke and the Germans call it the Holzbrücke Bad Säckingen. At over 200 metres in length, it is the longest wooden covered bridge in all of Europe. It was originally built in 1272, destroyed several times, and subsequently rebuilt. The Germans operated it as a toll-bridge from 1416-1869. It was closed to vehicular traffic in 1979 when a new bridge was opened just downstream. During the Second World War, soldiers guarded it at both ends. Nowadays, it is a pedestrian and bicycle bridge. Last time I was there, I remember a young Swiss boy zooming over to Stein on his bike after a day of school in Bad Säckingen. How things have changed since the war. Now you would never even guess that there are two countries along this river. Inside the bridge is a white line painted across the floor that shows the actual boundary between the two countries. I have a photo of friends at that line, she on the Swiss side (left bank) as she is Swiss, and her German husband on the other side, with their arms over each other’s shoulders. I attach an image of a postage stamps that was issued conjointly by the PTT and Deutsche Post.
There is some information and photos on Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holzbr%C3%BCcke_Bad_S%C3%A4ckingen, but I must say there is very little on the English bit, on the left side one can choose other languages. There is a bit more in Nederlands, but much more in Français and Deutsch, and for anyone interested, plenty in Allemanisch.
Here is the website of Stein AG, http://www.gemeinde-stein.ch/de/verwaltung/uebersichtverwaltung/ and the one for Bad Säckingen, http://www.bad-saeckingen.de/basae2/aktuelles/index.php Note that both of these are in German. I should add that the old wooden bridge has been closed by the German authorities because of the on-going Covid-19 crisis. http://www.nfz.ch/2020/03/holzbr%C3%BCcke-zwischen-stein-und-bad-s%C3%A4ckingen-ab-sofort-geschlossen.html So for now, anyone wishing to cross must do so at the new bridge, which the Swiss call the Rheinbrücke Stein and the Germans the Fridolinsbrücke. By now, even those readers with no German probably realize that “Brücke” means “Bridge” and “Holz” means “Wood”.
One other tidbit I found (but not on the English version) is that the Swiss, always prepared for invasion, had several hundred kilos of TNT hidden in two of the pillars of the bridge. This was removed in 2014. I have seen bunkers in various places on the Swiss side of the Rhein.
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Other bridges people can contribute about would include the famous Kappelbrücke in Lucerne. How about the wooden one in Olten ? I know of an old covered wooden one in Aarberg BE. Information about old stone bridges would also be welcomed.
What a very interesting contribution to the forum. Thanks. Although I have passed quite some bridges in Switzerland, I never felt the urge to dive into their history, or find out about other interesting aspects.
I know, it’s a bit off topic, but I have visited suspension bridges mainly in the Bernese Oberland and Valais, always a highlight of the day. Examples: Handeckfall-suspension bridge near the Gelmerbahn (Haslital); Bhutan-suspension bridge near Leuk (Rhône valley); the bridges of Bisse de Savièse (or Bisse du Torrent Neuf) near Sion; the privately built suspension bridge Hohstalden, near Frutigen (see photo: looking up or looking down?). But very interesting was the small and old bridge over the Kander in the Gastern valley near Selden.
I would like to know of more of those small, old and primitive suspension bridges.
Let’s hope we can visit Switzerland and its bridges and all its beautiful nature in a future not too far away.
Happy Easter to all.
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Hello. My guess that is this looking up.
Here’s the English version of the Wikipedia article about Lucerne’s Kappelbrücke. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapellbr%C3%BCcke Complete with a an account of its history (first built in 1365), a number of photographs, a painting, and a map as well as two interesting links: chapel-bridge.ch/overview/ and chapel-bridge.ch/ where one can find 360 degree panoramas of the bridge and the watertower.
Also available in nine other languages (some more complete than others).
Hello Peterli,
Another covered wooden bridge over the Rhine is between the outskirts of Vaduz, Liechtenstein, and Sevelen, some 10 kilometres downstream of Sargans (Canton of Sankt Gallen), built in 1901 with a span of 135 metres. Now you can cross the bridge only on foot, by bike or on horseback, but until 1975 – when the new concrete bridge has been opened – all motorised traffic had to use this bridge as well! It is the only remaining bridge of its kind in this part of the young river Rhine from its source to the Lake Constance. From the Swiss side there are marvellous views on Liechtenstein’s mountain range and the Prince’s Castle. There is a regular bus connection from Sargans to Vaduz. In July 2017 I went to Vaduz and walked/hiked from Vaduz back to Sargans. I enjoyed it very much – on the way I passed the interesting ruins of the Wartau Borough and I had a nice lunch with some good wine at the Gasthaus Traube (“since 1711”), in the village of Azmoos: a Wartauer Wysse.
“Prettige avond” and best regards.
Hi Peterli –
<<“I know of an old covered wooden one in Aarberg BE.”>>
As you know, I have spent a few hours exploring the Dreiseenland (Three Lakes Region). On the way to and from Ligerz or Sugiez, heading north and east, I often chose to pass through Aarberg, as an attractive alternative in order to avoid the radar traffic camera near Tüscherz and also avoid passing through Biel. Or Bienne. 😉
There is a very attractive small remnant of old town along the main road near that bridge. I stopped one day to take some pictures of that bridge and the old town segment. That bridge is worth a stop to take a close look. The construction details of those old wooden bridges are impressive, and the continued existence with active use is a tribute to the designers and builders.
I happened to run across this composite image of the bridge while looking through some old files, and have attached it. Since one part of the composite is rotated 90 degrees, for your convenience, I have cropped and rotated it as a correctly oriented image, attached.
All of the Roman history along the valley of the Aare River has caused
me to stop at various towns along the length of the river, including
Olten, Büren an der Aare, Brugg…. As I turn up photos, I’ll pass
along a few in future posts.
Slowpoke
Hi Slowpoke
The other day I said that << I know of an old covered wooden one in Aarberg BE. >> and I believe we had a discussion about it a year or so ago. So glad that you noticed this thread and that you posted your photos. I can’t find mine. The year I was there, they were doing some discrete structural changes, as often one could hear it creaking when a vehicle passed through. It was built in 1557 and as was the case in so many places, it was a location where tolls could be collected. It is so narrow that they have traffic lights at each end. I attach an aerial image showing the covered bridge spanning the Alte Aare, which has been reduced to a trickle as almost all of the water now passes along the Aare-Hagneck-Kanal to the Bielersee. For those following this thread who read German, here is a link to a story in the Berner Zeitung about the “facelift” for the old wooden bridge. http://www.bernerzeitung.ch/region/bern/facelift-fuer-die-alte-holzbruecke/story/20705145
My photo files are scattered over several external drives, and I was telling myself that with all this time we are supposed to stay at home, I would be able to use some of that time to get things organized. It hasn’t happened yet. It will be great to see some of your photos. I wonder if Rockoyster has any as well. Haven’t seen any posts from him in a while and I hope he is okay.
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Hi Peterli-
Thanks for the aerial view of Aarberg.
It nicely illustrates the area that I described as an attractive remnant of the old town. I’ve taken the liberty of marking up your image and re-posting it, to show what I meant. That aerial view nicely shows where the town walls must have been, too. The rows of the facades of those buildings are nice to look at.
There is a useful source for many photographs of Switzerland. “Willy” (a pensioner) has photographed a whole lot of Switzerland, with numerous photos of buildings and structure. He posted them on Wiki Commons, as Willy’s Fotowerkstatt:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:WillYs_Fotowerkstatt.
He has given us a nice photograph of the outside of the bridge. I have attached it. That image is good good on the setting, and nicely shows the bridge and the low water level in the Aare that you mention. For me , it does not have a lot of character…I find the interior details to be much more interesting. And, the picture of the workman in your link to the Berner Zeitung drives that point home with an excellent and dynamic image.
Nonetheless, because his collection is well indexed, it can give us a lot of useful photographs.
When I scan through them, however, I do find many of his images tend to have a rather “post card” quality of color treatment and tonality about them. I get tired of looking at their uniform style if I look at to many of them at one sitting. Just me, I guess.
I’ve attached a couple of his shots of some facades in Aarberg, and my edit of one. You’ll note he could do a better job on the technical aspects, too.
Slowpoke
I love covered wooden bridges but thay can also seem a bit clichéd, so I look out for ancient stone bridges when I can. A good place for these is Stalden VS, which calls itself the ‘Bridge village’
Riti bridge is the most familiar as it often appears in pictures of the Zermatt train
Thanks.
<<“so I look out for ancient stone bridges when I can. A good place for these is Stalden VS, which calls itself the ‘Bridge village”>>
What a great collection of stone arched bridges!
Slowpoke
Thank you for mentioning the Devil’s Bridge (or Teufelsbrücke). It is a great find, and to think that the old Gotthard train tunnel passes almost directly below it (red dashed line on attached map) and that the road tunnel is also below about 400 metres to west (black dashed line on the same map). The drive from Göschenen up to Andermatt is very short but is packed with interesting scenery. Here’s a link to some interesting photos and a text in German: http://www.tell.ch/schweiz/teufelsbruecke.htm
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Another bridge that we should not forget is the Ponte dei Salti, located just upstream from Lavertezzo in the Valle Verzasca of the Ticino (see red arrow on attached map). At the following link, you can find more information as well as a gallery of 6 photographs. http://www.ticino.ch/en/commons/details/The-romanic-bridge-Ponte-dei-salti-/2707.html Here is the Wikipedia link: fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont_des_Sauts Sorry, not in English, only in French, German, and Italian.
My next two bridges will be covered wooden ones over the Reuss, both downriver (north) from Lucerne.
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Hi Peterli,
Ponte dei Salti near Locarno is wonderful, I tried to look for my pictures to attach one of them, but no success, I could not find them.
Anyway, it is very beautiful if you can see it from the tourist 🙂
Ildiko
I am in general fascinated by the ancient mule tracks that predate the modern Swiss roads – I love tracing such routes and in mountainous areas it is often easier to see old routes and trackways as there paths stay obvious in many cases whereas similar routes in low lying country often disappear beneath undergrowth, forest etc.
<<“Viaduc de Grandfey”>>
Absolutely beautiful.
Slowpoke
There are two train viaducts when one leaves St. Gallen and goes over the Sitter River, one for the SOB (formerly the Bodensee Toggenburg Bahn) line which goes towards Herisau and through the Toggenburg and the other for the SBB line which heads off to Gossau and eventually Zurich. I traveled over both of them (but more so the former one) when I was a young student. I was looking photos and information about both of them, and then came across a report about work being done on the SOB one. It includes a small gallery and a bit lower down a video showing what is being: http://www.fm1today.ch/ostschweiz/baustelle-in-schwindelerregender-hoehe-135496948.
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