12 Famous Bridges in Europe Worth Crossing (and Where to See Them From)

A good bridge does more than get you across a river. It shapes how a city looks, gives you the best view of it, and often has a better story than the building at the end of it. Europe has hundreds of famous bridges, from Roman aqueducts to Victorian engineering, and these twelve are the ones worth planning a walk around.

For each bridge, there’s a short note on when to go and where to stand for the classic view, because the best photo of a bridge is rarely taken from the bridge itself.

Famous bridges in Europe at a glance

• Oldest on this list: the Pont du Gard in France, built by the Romans in the 1st century AD.
• Most dramatic setting: Puente Nuevo in Ronda, over a gorge about 120 metres deep.
• Most visited: Charles Bridge in Prague, Ponte Vecchio in Florence and the Rialto in Venice.
• Best for photos: go at sunrise. Every bridge on this list is busy by mid-morning.

1. Charles Bridge, Prague (Czechia)

Work on the stone bridge over the Vltava started in 1357, and for centuries it was the only way across the river in Prague. Thirty baroque statues line the parapets; most are now copies, with the originals kept in the National Museum’s lapidarium. During the day the bridge is a slow-moving crowd of painters, musicians and tour groups. At sunrise it’s almost empty, and the view up to Prague Castle is one of the best in Europe.

Best view: from the Old Town Bridge Tower, which you can climb, or from the riverbank on Kampa Island.

2. Ponte Vecchio, Florence (Italy)

The “old bridge” has crossed the Arno at its narrowest point since 1345, and it’s the only bridge in Florence that survived the Second World War. The shops built along it, held up by wooden brackets over the water, were once butchers’ stalls; since the late 16th century they have been goldsmiths and jewellers. Above them runs the Vasari Corridor, the private passage the Medici used to walk between their palaces. It reopened to visitors in December 2024 after a long restoration, and you need a timed ticket.

Best view: from the Ponte Santa Trinita, one bridge downstream, at sunset.

3. Stari Most, Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

The Ottoman builders who finished this single stone arch in 1566 created one of the great engineering feats of its time. The bridge stood for 427 years until it was destroyed in 1993 during the Bosnian war. It was rebuilt with Ottoman-era building methods and local stone, reopened in 2004 and listed by UNESCO in 2005. In summer, members of the local divers’ club jump more than 20 metres into the cold green Neretva, usually once a crowd has paid enough to make it worth their while.

Best view: from the riverbank below, on either side.

4. Tower Bridge, London (United Kingdom)

People often mistake it for London Bridge, which is a plain concrete bridge just upstream. Tower Bridge opened in 1894, with Victorian Gothic towers wrapped around a steel frame and roadways that still lift to let tall ships through, several hundred times a year. Inside, the Tower Bridge Exhibition takes you up to the high walkways, which have glass floor panels 42 metres above the Thames, and down to the original steam engine rooms.

Best view: from the south bank near City Hall, or from the Tower of London side at dusk. Lift times are published online if you want to see the bridge open.

5. Pont du Gard (France)

The oldest structure on this list, and the most impressive: a three-tier Roman aqueduct bridge built in the 1st century AD to carry water across the Gardon river to Nîmes. At almost 49 metres, it’s the tallest Roman aqueduct bridge still standing, and it’s built without mortar. You can walk across the lower level, and in summer people swim in the river beneath it.

Best view: from the riverbanks upstream, or the marked trail up the hill on the left bank. It’s an easy day trip from Avignon, Nîmes or Uzès.

6. Rialto Bridge, Venice (Italy)

For a long time this was the only way to cross the Grand Canal on foot. Several wooden bridges stood here before the stone one, completed in 1591, which has shops running up the middle and two outer walkways with views along the canal. It’s always busy, but standing at the top watching the vaporetti and gondolas below is part of the Venice experience.

Best view: from the Riva del Vin waterfront, or from a vaporetto passing underneath.

7. Bridge of Sighs, Venice (Italy)

This small, enclosed white limestone bridge, built around 1600, connected the interrogation rooms of the Doge’s Palace to the new prisons across the canal. The name, so the story goes, comes from prisoners sighing at their last view of Venice through the stone windows, a romantic idea popularised by Lord Byron. You can cross it from the inside on the Doge’s Palace tour.

Best view: from the Ponte della Paglia on the waterfront, along with everyone else.

8. Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Budapest (Hungary)

The first permanent bridge across the Danube in Budapest opened in 1849, linking Buda and Pest years before they officially became one city. Stone lions guard each end. The bridge was blown up in 1945 and rebuilt for its centenary in 1949. After a long renovation it reopened in 2023, and private cars are no longer allowed across it, which makes the walk much more pleasant.

Best view: at night, from the Fisherman’s Bastion or the Danube promenade on the Pest side.

9. Kapellbrücke, Lucerne (Switzerland)

Lucerne’s covered wooden Chapel Bridge dates from the 14th century and runs at an angle across the Reuss river, past an octagonal stone water tower. Inside, triangular paintings under the roof tell stories from Swiss and local history. A fire in 1993 destroyed most of the bridge and many of the paintings. It was rebuilt within a year, and you can still see the scorched panels.

Best view: from the Rathausquai or the Seebrücke, with Mount Pilatus behind on a clear day.

10. Puente Nuevo, Ronda (Spain)

The “new bridge” was completed in 1793, and it holds Ronda together, linking the old Moorish town to the newer quarter across the El Tajo gorge, about 120 metres deep. A small chamber inside the central arch, once used as a prison, now has a small exhibition about the bridge.

Best view: walk down the path from Plaza de María Auxiliadora to the viewpoints below the bridge. That’s the picture in all the posters, and the walk back up is worth it.

11. Old Bridge, Heidelberg (Germany)

Heidelberg’s Karl Theodor Bridge, completed in 1788, is a red sandstone bridge over the Neckar with a medieval gate tower at the old-town end. A bronze monkey holding a mirror sits by the gate, said to bring good luck if you touch it. The view from the bridge up to the castle ruins, which inspired Romantic painters and poets, hasn’t changed much.

Best view: from the Philosophenweg, the Philosophers’ Walk, on the hillside across the river.

12. Glenfinnan Viaduct (Scotland, United Kingdom)

A curving viaduct of 21 concrete arches, completed in 1901 on the West Highland Line, high above the head of Loch Shiel. Film fans know it from the Harry Potter films. In season, the Jacobite steam train crosses it twice a day on its way between Fort William and Mallaig.

Best view: from the viewpoint above the visitor centre. Check the train times and arrive early, because the hillside fills up.

Tips for visiting Europe’s famous bridges

• Go early. Charles Bridge, Ponte Vecchio, the Rialto and Stari Most are all at their best within an hour of sunrise.
• Look from the side. The best views of a bridge are almost always from the riverbank or the next bridge along.
• Watch your bag. Crowded bridges are favourite spots for pickpockets, especially in Prague and Venice.
• Love locks: many cities, including Florence and Paris, remove them and can fine you for adding one. Leave them at home.

Planning a bigger trip? See our guide to the 25 best places to visit in Europe, from city breaks to fjords.

Keep exploring

• 10 of the most beautiful squares in Europe.
• Vienna Landmarks: 12 Sights Worth Your Time (and How to See Them): 12 sights worth your time.
• 12 Natural Wonders of Europe Worth the Trip.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most famous bridge in Europe?

Tower Bridge in London and Charles Bridge in Prague are probably the most recognised, with Ponte Vecchio in Florence close behind.

What is the oldest bridge in Europe still standing?

Several Roman bridges are still in use, including the Pons Fabricius in Rome, built in 62 BC. The Pont du Gard, from the 1st century AD, is the best known.

Can you walk across all of these bridges?

Yes, all except the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which is a railway line. To see Tower Bridge’s high walkways and the inside of the Bridge of Sighs, you need a ticket.