Here is a list of top 10 most unique bridges from different countries across the world.
1-Peak Walk, Switzerland
Peak Walk is a ordinary bridge linking two mountain peaks in the Swiss Alps. It was built as a tourist attraction in Europe and it cost 1.8 million Francs. Mountains that can be seen from the bridge include Mont Blanc (the Alps’ uppermost point), the Matterhorn, Mönch, Jungfrau and Eiger and the bridge has a partial glass floor that offers views down.
The bridge is 351 feet long, 2.6 feet wide and 3.9 feet high with a 14.98% slope. It has four pieces of key supporting steel cables with a 115 tons loading capacity. The bridge can take up to 290 people, however 150 people at a time have access to the bridge for taking a ‘Sneak Peak’ Walk from one top to the other.
2-Titlis Cliff Walk, Switzerland
Scared of heights? You may not enjoy a stroll across the Titlis Cliff Walk, which is up in the air 1,500 feet above a glacier in the Swiss Alps. This scary, vertigo-inducing pedestrian bridge on Mount Titlis, which opened in 2012 during a huge snow storm, is Europe’s highest suspension bridge at 9,000 feet above sea level.
Constructed in five months, the bridge was built when weather conditions permitted. Media reports called it the ‘world’s scariest bridge’
3-SkyBridge, Russia
The stomach-turning SkyBridge, near Sochi in south-western Russia, stretches for almost one kilo-meter and can take 30,000 people at a time. Known as the Trollwire, riders are strapped to a zip wire horizontally side by side.
The SkyBridge is also the longest ordinary suspension bridge in Russia. And if walking across it isn’t adventurous enough for you, you can also bungee jump off it or zip line along it.
4-Hanging Bridge of Ghasa, Nepal
Stretching high above a river valley, this ordinary bridge near the Nepalese town of Ghasa was built for a very practical reason. It was created out of necessity and in hopes of eliminating the congestion in Ghasa town due to crowds of animals constantly being walked up and down the narrow roads.
At first glance, it certainly appears to be one of the most extreme and dangerous places on this list. However, the bridge sees a high amount of traffic daily, with herders and farmers using it to move goods to market. So, in fact, this walkway has proven capable of handling a large amount of weight. Ghasa is on the popular Annapurna Circuit, a widely used trekking route through the Himalayan foothills. You not only get to experience this unsteady bridge, but you can also share the experience with a bunch of animals.
5-Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Northern Ireland
Take the exhilarating rope bridge to Carrick-a-Rede island and enjoy a truly clifftop experience. This 30-meter deep and 20-meter wide chasm is traversed by a rope bridge traditionally erected by salmon fishermen. A short coastal footpath leads to Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. On the way, there are wonderful vantage points to stop and capture the natural beauty. The geology, flora and fauna have won Carrick-a-Rede recognition as an area of special scientific interest. Visitors bold enough to cross to the rocky island are rewarded with fantastic views.
Once you reach Carrick Island, the reward is seeing the diverse bird life and an uninterrupted view across to Rathlin Island and Scotland. There is only one way off the island – back across the swinging bridge!Although no-one has ever been injured falling off the old bridge, there have been many instances of visitors being unable to face the return walk back across the bridge, resulting they were being taken off the island by boat.
6-Trift bridge, Switzerland
One of the Alps’ longest and highest pedestrian suspension bridges, Trift was built in 2004 to reconnect hikers to a hut made inaccessible by a retreating glacier. A replacement in 2009 gave this bridge higher handrails and stabilizing cables to prevent it from swinging violently in the wind. The Trift Bridge, which was modeled after Nepalese three-rope bridges turned out to be a tourist magnet. The gondola train, which was originally built as a freight gondola, takes passengers up to the area where the bridge is.
Trift Bridge, the most spectacular pedestrian suspension bridges of the Alps is 100 meters high and 170 meters long, and is poised above the region of the Trift Glacier. Even reaching the bridge through the ravine by cable car is an adventure.
7-Living root bridges of Meghalaya, India
In most places around the world, bridges are constructed using concrete and steel as the main building materials. However, somewhere in the forests of Meghalaya bridges are not built, they are grown. The living root bridges are made from the roots of Ficus Elastica, the humble Indian rubber tree. The Khasis took notice of the strength and flexibility of the roots and saw an opportunity to make bridges out of them.
Though this ancient technology appears to be theoretically simple, practically it is very difficult as it takes a long time to grow a root bridge. While the construction of modern solid bridges may take three or four years, these types of bridges take very long to develop into a firm bridge. Normally it takes around 10 to 15 years, which is the normal construction period. These bridges grow to approximately 50 to 100 feet long and have strong and deep roots providing a stable foothold. They can carry up to 50 people at a time.
The life of these bio-engineering wonders is estimated as 500 years which is more than the life span of most of the man-made modern bridges. This place receives a lot of rain, so wooden bridges rot and decay. But Root bridges are alive and growing and so gain strength over time.
8-Capilano Suspension Bridge, Canada
The Capilano Suspension Bridge is situated in a West Coast rain-forest. Originally built in 1889, this award winning pedestrian bridge is one of the Greater Vancouver’s top attractions. Locals and visitors from around the globe enjoy the thrill of crossing the 450-foot swaying bridge, suspended 230 feet above Capilano River in North Vancouver, BC. The bridge offers superb views of the river below and old growth forest.
The Capilano Suspension Bridge Park offers visitors a unique mix of adventure, history and culture, which makes this attraction a complete British Columbia experience and a must see while visiting Vancouver.
9-Moses Bridge, Netherlands
No, your eyes are not deceiving you – the waters have indeed parted! This incredible ‘sunken’ pedestrian bridge, located in the Netherlands gives visitors a unique opportunity to pass through parted waters, to eventually meet a historic fortress of defense. The discreet entry to the fort makes it possible to enjoy the area without ruining the moat’s presence and gives you the powerful impression that the waters have parted, just for you.
The bridge is made completely out of waterproof wood, lies like a trench and disappears into the landscape, but from the vantage point of above or either end, the bridge parts the waters, reminiscent of the prophet it named after. In the case that you are lacking the faith to walk down into and under the water line, the RO & AD architects who designed the bridge assure that flooding would not be an issue. The height of the water is controlled by adjustable dams at both sides of the moat, ensuring that when the water rises, it reaches the dams before the bridge, which also includes a pump just in case the dams overflow.
10-Inflatable Trampoline Bridge, Paris
Instead of crossing bridges by walking or by riding a car, why can’t we jump or flip our way across instead? Such a bridge may not be practical, but it would be fun and no doubt become a tourist attraction. This is what architecture firm AZC had in mind when they submitted a proposal to build an inflatable trampoline bridge for pedestrians to cross the Seine.
The structure involves three inflatable doughnuts like rings with mesh trampolines stretched across each one, allowing pedestrians to bounce their way to the other side of the river. It also provides people two options upon reaching the end of the bridge; to exit by way of a staircase or by way of a slide.