Bridges are relatively common constructions, present in the daily lives of many people. In some cases they stand out for their gigantic look, as is the case of Golden Gate in San Francisco. However, some bridges draw attention for their unusual look or the beauty of their construction.
Below we present five very different bridges for you to know.
1. Moses Bridge, Netherlands
Unlike most bridges, which are built over water, the Moisés Bridge stands out for being inside the river. It was built as a trench to provide access to Fort De Roovere. In order not to harm the appearance of the place, the solution was to “hide” the bridge in the middle of the moat that surrounds the fort.
It was built in 2010 and was named Loopgraafbrug, but with the time it came to be known as the Moses Bridge, in reference to the biblical prophet. To prevent the bridge from being flooded during a rain, the water height is controlled by dams that keep the water line always at the correct height.
2. Golden Bridge, Vietnam
The Golden Bridge it was designed to look like it’s being held up by two giant stone hands. The building is located in the Bà Nà Hills resort, near the town of Da Nang, and connects the gardens to a cable car station. The hands that seem to hold the bridge were only added in 2018, and were made with wire mesh and fiberglass, but their construction makes them look like they’ve been around for centuries.
3. Bastei Bridge, Germany
Bastei é a 194 meter high rock formation that is located on the Elbe River in Germany. Neurathen Castle used to be on top of the natural towers until it burned down in 1484. Even so, the place receives many tourists who want to contemplate the impressive rocks, and for that they use a bridge built in the early 1800s. The look of the pillars, with the panorama of the mountains and valley below make the place look like it came straight out of The Lord of the Rings.
4. Sanctuary of Las Lajas, Colombia
The Sanctuary of Las Lajas is a Gothic church in Renaissance style that is located in a gorge in Colombia and was built between 1916 and 1949. It was built next to a 100-meter high canyon and to access it, tourists cross a 49 meters long bridge over the Guáitara River.
According to a local legend, in 1754 a woman and her deaf-mute daughter sought shelter during a storm in a cave and witnessed the apparition of the Virgin Mary. After this apparition, the child would have heard and spoken again. This legend made the place very famous, being the destination of several pilgrims every year.
5. The Living Roots Bridges, India
Building bridges in dense forest regions is a practically impossible task. To get around the problem, tribal communities in the Indian state of Meghalaya use their vegetation to create root bridges. They are formed by stretching bamboos along the river and then placing the aerial roots in the correct position. As the trees grow over the years, the bridges become stronger and can support more and more people crossing.
There are currently over 100 living bridges in Meghalaya, and they are currently on UNESCO’s tentative list for world heritage status because they demonstrate “a distinct ethnobotanical journey rooted in a deep reciprocity and culture-nature synthesis.”
