Photos: Five (5) Most Beautiful Bridges In The World

We’ve come a long way in bridge building since crossing a river on a fallen log. The first bridges were built with wooden planks, ropes and stones. Soon, stronger material were required. Wood and stone bridges gave way to iron, then to steel ones. Bridge building techniques also evolved.

Now architecture can be so singularly powerful that it comes to define a city. Just try to imagine a Paris without the Eiffel Tower, or a Barcelona without the powerful influence of Gaudí. And while bigger, staggering buildings often get all of the love, there’s something more democratic about bridges.

Morden day bridges can be made of stone or steel, suspended or on cables, above ravines, rivers, and oceans. These structures, that fascinate the entire globe, are often part of incredibly impressive design with engineers always on a quest to create taller, longer and more beautiful bridges across the world.

Today, we focus on five of such beautiful bridges:

1. Banpo Bridge (Seoul, South Korea)

Overlooking the Han River, Banpo bridge transforms into a rainbow sky after the sunset. In Seoul, the bridge provides access to the Seocho and Yongsan districts, providing a safe way to cross the river, especially during the rainy season. The pouring fountain measures 570 meters and attracts many curious people every year, who often come to observe this rainbow colored water pour into the river 20 meters below.

Obviously, we could not talk about bridges without mentioning the Saint-Nazaire Bridge, and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (New York), the start and end of The Bridge 2017, a race designed as a fraternal bridge commemorating the trail landing, back in 1917.

2. The Dragon Bridge (Da Nang, Vietnam)

Crossing the Han River in Đà Nẵng, Vietnam, this suspended deck bridge has 8 channels, 6 roads, and 2 sidewalks. Measuring more than 37 meters, this bridge ends with an impressive dragon head that even breathes fire! At night, this impressive dragon lights up with 15000 LEDs.

3. The Wind and Rain Bridge: Sanjian County, China

The Wind and Rain Bridge on the Linxi River of Sanjiang County is gorgeous. Built in 1916 to resemble a rainbow, the builders used no nails or rivets but instead dovetailed thousands of pieces of wood.

4. Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australia

Sydney Harbour Bridge is the world’s tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 m (440 ft) from top to water level. In its beautiful harbour location, it has become a renowned international symbol of Australia.

Its total length including approach spans is 1149 metres (3770 ft) and its arch span is 503 meters (1650 ft). The bridge – nicknamed “The Coathanger” because of its arch-based design – carries rail, vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic between Sydney’s central business district and the North Shore.

5. Millau Viaduct, France

The Millau Viaduct is part of the A75-A71 Freeway from Paris to Montpellier, and is located in the Aveyron départment in southern France. It is the highest bridge in the world, standing 270 meters (890 ft) over the Tarn River and is more than 340 meters (1,125 ft) in height at the top of its highest mast.

It is slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris and only 38 meters (125 ft) shorter than the Empire State Building. It is a cable-stayed road bridge designed by engineer Michel Virlogeux and British architect Norman Foster.