Europe’s Most Unusual River Bridges to Walk Across: 8 Crossings

Some of Europe’s most rewarding short walks are only a few hundred metres long. A good bridge gives you the river, the skyline and a slice of engineering history in one crossing, and the best of them were built to be looked at as much as used. This guide picks eight river crossings with a story, from a medieval bridge with a carved devil to a gondola hanging from an iron frame.

All eight can be crossed on foot, though in two cases the best part, the top level, is reached only by lift or on a guided visit. The famous bridges already covered in our city guides get a line each at the end.

Unusual river bridges at a glance

• Best for: walkers, photographers and anyone who likes engineering with a story.
• Oldest: the Pont du Gard, built by the Romans in the 1st century AD.
• Most unusual: the Vizcaya Bridge near Bilbao, a transporter bridge from 1893 that still carries people across the river in a hanging gondola.
• When to go: early morning or after dark for the city bridges; spring and autumn for the rural ones.

1. Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Budapest

Before this bridge, Buda and Pest were joined by a pontoon bridge that was taken down in winter, when ice made the Danube dangerous. Count István Széchenyi pushed for a permanent crossing, the English engineer William Tierney Clark drew up the design, and the Scottish engineer Adam Clark (no relation) supervised the works. The bridge opened in November 1849. Retreating German troops blew it up in January 1945, leaving only the towers, and the rebuilt bridge reopened in November 1949, exactly a century after the first opening.

Look for the four stone lions by János Marschalkó at the abutments. A long-told Budapest story says they have no tongues; they do, but you cannot see them from street level. After a renovation of more than two years, the bridge reopened to walkers in August 2023 and no longer carries private cars, which makes the crossing far more pleasant. Buses, taxis and bikes still use it. Walk from Pest towards the funicular up to Castle Hill, ideally just after sunset.

2. Rialto Bridge, Venice

Strictly speaking the Grand Canal is not a river, but for most of Venice’s history the Rialto was the only fixed way across it. Earlier crossings here were a pontoon bridge and then wooden bridges. The present single stone arch, designed by Antonio da Ponte, was built between 1588 and 1591. Two rows of shops run up the inclined ramps, with outer walkways on either side that give the classic view down the canal.

Come before 8am or late in the evening, when the shopfronts are shuttered and you can stand at the balustrade without being moved along. Then walk into the Rialto market on the San Polo side, busiest in the morning.

3. Pont Valentré, Cahors

Cahors sits in a tight loop of the River Lot in south-west France, and the Pont Valentré guards its western side. Work began in 1308 and ran for decades, with the bridge usually dated as finished in 1378. Its three square towers and pointed cutwaters make it one of the best-preserved fortified bridges in Europe. It was never attacked. UNESCO lists it as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France, inscribed in 1998, because pilgrims on the way to Spain crossed here.

The long construction gave rise to a legend that the builder made a pact with the devil to finish the job, then cheated him of payment. During a 19th century restoration, the architect Paul Gout had a small stone devil added to the central tower, apparently trying to pull a stone loose. The riverside path gives the best view of the whole bridge, and the climb to the Mont Saint-Cyr viewpoint shows how neatly the Lot wraps around the town.

4. Ponte della Maddalena, Borgo a Mozzano

Around 20 km north of Lucca, on the road into the Garfagnana, a medieval stone bridge leaps the Serchio in a steep, lopsided hump that looks almost impossible. Locals call it the Ponte del Diavolo, the Devil’s Bridge. Tradition credits its building to Matilda of Canossa around the 11th century, though it was rebuilt and repaired in later centuries, and the name Maddalena comes from a shrine to Mary Magdalene that once stood at one end.

The story goes that the builder could not finish in time and the devil offered to complete it in return for the first soul to cross; the townspeople sent an animal over first, usually said to be a dog or a pig. The walk up and over the central arch is short but genuinely steep, with smooth stones underfoot, so take care in the wet. It pairs easily with a morning on Lucca’s walls.

5. Pont du Gard, near Nîmes

The Romans built this three-tier aqueduct bridge in the 1st century AD to carry water across the Gardon valley on its way to Nîmes. It stands around 49 m above the river, the highest of all surviving Roman aqueduct bridges, and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

Visitors can walk across at river level on the road bridge added against the lower tier in the 1740s, which now carries only pedestrians. Access to the water channel on the top tier is by guided visit only, offered in the main season; book ahead if you want to walk where the water once flowed. Arrive early, then follow the paths uphill on the left bank for the view from above.

6. Pont Alexandre III, Paris

This one was built as a showpiece. Tsar Nicholas II laid the first stone in October 1896, marking the alliance between France and Russia, and it was finished for the Universal Exhibition of 1900, at the same time as the Grand Palais and Petit Palais on the Right Bank. A single low steel arch spans the Seine so as not to block the view between the Champs-Élysées and Les Invalides.

The decoration is the reason to come: four tall masonry pillars topped by gilded figures of Fame with winged horses, Art Nouveau lamps along both pavements, and nymph reliefs over the centre of the arch. Walk from the Grand Palais to the Esplanade des Invalides, then come back along the riverbank below for the view of the arch itself.

7. Vizcaya Bridge, Portugalete

The Vizcaya Bridge near Bilbao looks like a giant iron gantry, and it works like nothing else on this list. Designed by the Basque architect Alberto Palacio, with engineering by Ferdinand Arnodin, it opened in 1893 as the first transporter bridge of its kind: instead of a deck, a gondola hangs from cables and glides across the river mouth, carrying cars and foot passengers between Portugalete and Getxo while ships pass underneath. UNESCO listed it in 2006.

There are two ways to cross. The gondola takes a couple of minutes and runs frequently, used mostly by locals. For the full experience, take the lift to the walkway along the top girder and cross high above the river, with views down the estuary to the sea; this is a separate, ticketed visit, so check current times before you go. Portugalete and Getxo are both on the Bilbao metro, about 20 to 25 minutes from the city centre.

8. Erasmus Bridge, Rotterdam

The newest bridge here, completed in 1996, links the city centre with the regenerated Kop van Zuid district across the Nieuwe Maas. Designed by Ben van Berkel, it is around 800 m long, and its white asymmetrical pylon, 139 m tall, earned it the nickname De Zwaan, the Swan. The southern end includes a bascule section that lifts for large ships.

Wide pavements and cycle lanes make the crossing easy. Walk south from the Leuvehaven, pause in the middle for the skyline, then continue to the Hotel New York building at the old Holland America Line terminal on the Wilhelminapier. Come back after dark, when the cables are lit.

Famous bridges covered in our city guides

Most of these appear in detail in our city and regional guides.

• Charles Bridge, Prague: the Gothic stone bridge over the Vltava, lined with Baroque statues; cross it at dawn.
• Ponte Vecchio, Florence: the medieval bridge over the Arno with jewellers’ shops hanging off its sides.
• Dom Luís I Bridge, Porto: a two-level iron arch over the Douro, with walkways on both decks.
• Stari Most, Mostar: the rebuilt Ottoman single arch over the Neretva.
• Krämerbrücke, Erfurt: a medieval bridge over the Gera lined with inhabited half-timbered houses.
• Stone Bridge, Regensburg: the 12th century crossing of the Danube at the heart of the old town.
• Pulteney Bridge, Bath: one of very few bridges in the world with shops built across its full span.
• Puente Nuevo, Ronda: an 18th century bridge high above the El Tajo gorge.
• Tower Bridge, London: the Victorian bascule bridge over the Thames, with high-level walkways inside.
• Magdeburg Water Bridge, Germany: a canal bridge opened in 2003 that carries ships over the Elbe, with a footpath alongside the water.

Tips for walking Europe’s bridges

• Go early: the city bridges, especially the Rialto and Charles Bridge, are calm for an hour or two after sunrise and crowded by mid-morning.
• Look from the bank as well: you cannot see the shape of a bridge while standing on it. Plan a riverside walk or a viewpoint for each one.
• Check access before you travel: the top of the Pont du Gard and the upper walkway of the Vizcaya Bridge are ticketed and may not run every day.
• Watch the stones: medieval bridges such as the Ponte della Maddalena are steep and slippery after rain; wear shoes with grip.

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

Keep exploring

• The Most Unusual Travel Destinations in Europe: 10 Strange Places
• The Most Unusual Things to Do in Paris: 10 Offbeat Ideas
• 12 Famous Bridges in Europe Worth Crossing (and Where to See Them From)

Frequently asked questions

Can you walk across the Pont du Gard?

Yes, at river level, on the 18th century road bridge built against the lower tier, which is now for pedestrians only. The water channel on the top tier is open only on guided visits, so book ahead.

Why is the Pont Valentré called the Devil’s Bridge?

The bridge took decades to build, and a legend grew that the builder sold his soul to the devil to finish it, then tricked him. In the 19th century the restoration architect added a small carved devil to the central tower as a nod to the story.

Can you still cross the Chain Bridge in Budapest?

Yes. After a renovation lasting more than two years, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge reopened to pedestrians in August 2023. Private cars are no longer allowed, but buses, taxis and cyclists still use it.