Bridges come in all styles, shapes, and sizes, made of stone, wood, or cast iron. What makes a bridge iconic? What draws us to cherish any certain bridge? While they serve to get us from one side of water to another, bridges are certainly more than utilitarian. For centuries, bridges have been guarded with towers, decorated with sculptures, and valued for their art. Here are a few of my favorites.
Charles Bridge, Prague 
The Charles Bridge carries a history involving flood after flood, battles, beheadings, and statues of saints. It is the oldest bridge across the Vltava River in Prague and was once the only connection between the Old Town on one side of the river with the Castle on the other side. Today it is a prime place to visit in Prague, both for the bridge itself and the magnificent views of the city. After restoration in 1978, all vehicle traffic is banned from bridge. So you can stroll across this pedestrian bridge without dodging traffic. 
Chain Bridge and Liberty Bridge, Budapest
The Danube flows through the two parts of Budapest. All of the bridges connecting Buda and Pest were destroyed in World War II and have since been rebuilt. The most well-known is the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, a suspension bridge originally built in 1849 and named for the Hungarian Count who prompted the construction. 
The Liberty Bridge is another lovely bridge across the Danube. Built in 1896 for the Millennium World Exhibition, its reconstruction is bright green. It’s striking against the blue Danube. 
Bow Bridge, New York
A feature of New York’s Central Park, the Bow Bridge is a Classical Greek delight. It’s made of cast iron and is a pedestrian walkway across The Lake. The banisters are interlocking circles. Eight large urns decorate the bridge. Two of these were stolen long ago and only recently replaced. 
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
The Golden Gate Bridge is the symbol of San Francisco. It opened in May, 1937 after taking 4 years to build. The roadway deck is held up by metal cables suspended from curving main cables draped over the two red metal pillars that give the bridge its recognizable outline. The bridge can sway as much as 28 feet to adapt to wind and weather. The Golden Gate Bridge is a marvel of engineering. You can drive across, but if you walk or ride a bike, you will be able to see the rivets up close. And the views from this bridge are mesmerizing.
Bridges of Amsterdam
Amsterdam is crisscrossed by about 165 canals and you can walk or ride over about 1,500 bridges. The canals and bike-lined bridges of Amsterdam are a wonderful place to wander. You don’t need an agenda. Just set out and stroll and take in the sights. The buildings lining the canals date back to the 1600s, adding character and charm to the waterways.
Old North Bridge, Concord, Massachusetts
This bridge is the historical site of the Battle of Concord, which kicked off the American War of Independence in 1775. British troops lined up on one side, and Minute Men from the colonies gathered on the other side. Shots rang out, and war began. Why fight on this bridge in this tranquil town? Rumors of a stash of weapons buried nearby. The current wooden pedestrian bridge is the fifth version on this site since the battle.
Pont Alexandre III, Paris
The Pont Alexandre III spans the Seine and is thought to be the most ornate and beautiful of the 37 bridges that cross this river in Paris. Linking the Champ-Elysee area on the Right Bank with the Invalides quarter of the Left Bank, the Pont Alexandre III invites you to stroll across and enjoy the art. Anchored by four golden sculptures that represent eras in the history of France, the bridge also boasts many more sculptures and Art Nouveau lighting. It is classified as a French Monument. 
How about you? Do you have a favorite bridge?
Linking up with Image-in-ing, Monday Murals, Pictorial Tuesday, Wednesday Around the World, The Good, the Random, the Fun, Through My Lens, Seasons, Our World Tuesday, Photo Friday, Travel Photo Thursday, Weekend Wanderlust, Faraway Files, The Weekly Postcard, Wanderful Wednesday, Feet Do Travel, Weekend Wanderlust, Nanahood, City Tripping, and Weekend Travel Inspiration.
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47 Comments
So many gorgeous bridges!
You’ve photographed some real beauties!
I have a love-hate with bridges. I enjoy the architecture of them but hate to drive over them.
Beautiful pics.
Your bridges are so beautiful! I snap bridges, too, but not is cities, just rural ones around the area.
A beautiful collection of bridges Sharon. I do love the Golden Gate bridge so it would probably be on top of my list. Since I haven’t traveled as much as you, my list is shorter but as a kid I loved crossing the Mississippi River from Memphis. A really loooong bridge!
What a terrific idea to immortalize the beauty of bridges! You should put together a book on that topic! I don’t think anyone has ever done it to my knowledge.
Pont Alexandre III is my favourite bridge in all the world.
You’ve seen many beautiful places… And I love bridges 😉
I love your choice of bridges. I would also add Tower Bridge in London as a personal favourite.
I suppose I have simple taste – while all of these are beautiful in their own way, the first is my favorite.
Thanks for linking up at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2019/02/time-for-tune-up.html
Awesome photos.
So many gorgeous bridges!
Love the chain bridge in Budapest, and the Bow Bridge is beautiful! cannot imagine stealing decorative pieces of a bridge – what are they thinking! MY favorite (old) bridge is in Beijing, the sides are made of white quartz or marble – it’s beauty and elegance combined. the new bridge they built pretty close by, is too plain! MAny thanks for sharing these bridges for All Seasons!
Beautiful! It was great seeing the St. Charles Bridge from a different angle.
Oh, I love that you included Amsterdam. The bridges there are indeed splendid! I guess I like Hohenzöllernbrücke in Cologn a lot, it’s the bridge across the Rhine river with all the padlocks. I also enjoy the quaint bridges in Bruges and Ghent and in the Cotswolds.
#WanderfulWednesday
Beautiful bridges… get to nine arch bridge in Sri Lanka it’s a beauty!
Yay, I’m glad to see that the Golden Gate Bridge made it onto your list! It’s such a beautiful welcome to San Francisco and I love driving or walking over it. But I can’t believe I missed Bow Bridge in Central Park when we were in New York! We’ll need to make another trip especially… not just because New York is amazing! #WanderfulWednesday
I totally have a thing for bridges. There are so many beautifully or interesting bridges around the world. #wanderfulwednesday
look like enjoy to walk in “Charles Bridge, Prague”… view is beautiful.
have a great day
This is an unusual way of celebrating structures that are much more than utilitarian, as you say. Fabulous photos too! My favourite in your selection would probably be the wooden bridge in Concord, Massachussetts – so beautifully simple!
#farawayfiles
Sharon – I love water, so any bridge is going to be a favorite for me. Thanks for sharing these architectural and cultural wonders with us!
Awesome collection of bridges Sharon! I love architecture and so this post was really appealing. We have been fortunate to visit all of these except for the one in MA…need to visit that one soon! Some of the London bridges are really cool also but this is a great start for any aficionados out there that want to start “bridge hopping” around the world.
What a lovely article and all those magnificent bridges! Nicely done!
Beautiful photos, especially of the Bow Bridge. You’ve captured many of my favorites here, but I would definitely add the Ponte Vecchico in Florence, the Accademia in Venice (I never realized how beautiful it was until I took a boat under it – beautiful), and the Brooklyn Bridge in New York!
Fascinating post, we’ve walked a few of these! Prague’s Charles Bridge is probably one of my favourites as it’s so stunning with all the statues. We missed the Central Park bridge on our last visit there, what a shame! The most unusual bridges we’ve come across on our travels are the Japanese covered bridges in Vietnam, which are beautifully crafted, especially the one in Hoi An.
I’ve been saving photos of bridges in a folder for a while now and literally was just thinking about finally writing a post! Great minds think alike! But not many can compare to Pont Alexandre III in Paris, though Skopje comes to mind! #FeetDoTravel
The Civil Engineer in me always gets excited about bridges. You have covered some of my favourites. We loved the statues on the Charles Bridge. And the lions on the Chain Bridge in Budapest. You got a great shot of the Golden Gate bridge without fog! We hope to have that view this month.
I love this idea and I love scouting out bridges when we travel. We used to live in Ashtabula, Ohio that hosts a covered bridge festival and a driving tour of all the covered bridges there. And my son proposed to his girlfriend, now fiance, on the bridge in Central Park.
Haha, you actually made me look at bridges in a new way! #farawayfiles
Wonderful photos of all these iconic bridges. I love how you have captured them both from a distance and up close from the pedestrian walkways. I was interested to learn the history of these bridges—I didn’t know all the bridges between Buda and Pest had to be replaced, for example, or that the Golden Gate was designed to sway so much. I’d like that not to happen when I was on it! #feetdotravel
These bridges are beautiful as they are also architecture marvels. I’m glad you’ve included Pont Alexandre III bridge in Paris. It is one of my favourite because it’s so extravagant. The four golden sculptures and Art Nouveau lighting truly are a sight! I’m intrigued with Széchenyi Chain Bridge too. The way suspension bridge works fascinates me. It is definitely a must-see in Budapest for me.
Some classic bridges here for sure! I grew up in Bristol with the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge by Isambard Kingdom Brunel so I am a little partial to bridges. There is something romantic about them, especially at night when they are lit up. Love the old fashioned lamps near bridges. Great post. #feetdotravel
Love this post, Sharon. I’m a huge sucker for bridges and always have to cross them in any city or small town. The architecture and history behind them are fascinating too. 🙂
Tower Bridge is a nice one, as is the Golden Gate and the Brooklyn Bridge, but I haven’t really ever given any thought to which one is my favorite. I think I rather like them all. You’ve gotten some great shots in this post, it would be fun to know what lengths you had to go to in order to get them. #farawayfiles
So many amazing bridges around the world! I find them fascinating as well! One of my favourite bridges is London Bridge!
these bridges all look so lovely!
Nice compilation! So happy to say that I’ve been to four of them! 🙂
What a lovely post, Sharon. I love bridges. I would add the delightful Poohsticks Bridge in the Ashdown Forest in the UK where A A Milne taught Christopher Robin to play poohsticks. Thanks for sharing on #FarawayFiles
Thanks for the Bridges special and I was just walking through the Charles Bridge and Chain Bridge 2 weeks ago in Europe! To me, I would put London’s Tower Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge on the list, too 🙂 @ knycx.journeying
Beautiful photos. I am so tempted to visit them especially the golden gate bridge!
What an interesting post – to focus on the bridges. I loved some of the smaller bridges, so much character!
What an interesting topic, who doesn’t love beautiful bridges and the history. Thank you
I love bridges (and doors!) – they have such beauty, and there’s something primal about their use. Leading you from one bank to another. It’s amazing to think that many of them were built in a different centre – and they still achieved such amazing feats of engineering.
What a fantastic selection of some of the Worlds best bridges – Golden Gate bridge is probably the most iconic one, but I really loved your photo of the cute Bow Bridge surrounded by all the tress in New york. I don’t remember seeing that when I visited the city.
Stunning images! Good choice of bridges too! Bridges are indeed things of beauty whether they are basic old wooden ones or modern ones with latest technology and engineering. Also, they are the most photographed places in the world. Thank you for this blog! 🙂
I love bridges and also to photograph them as they have deep philosophical meaning too. Charles bridge of Prague is my favorite too. Also I loved some of the bridges in Florence. I want to see that famous Golden Bridge of San Francisco. Thanks for sharing some of the beautiful bridges.