I’ve got a secret to confess: I have a little obsession with bridges. Yeah, I know, it’s weird that among all the great things in life, I would be interested in literal pieces of stone and concrete, a long-lasting gift from the experts of… bridges architecture? Whatever, let’s just call it that. Still, here I am, planning my next trip and including the city’s most beautiful bridges in my itinerary.

You can only imagine the sparkles in my eyes every time I stumble upon a particularly unique bridge that seems to have come out of a book. I can stop and stare for a prolonged unhealthy amount of time, blown away by its beauty.

What’s even more impressive is that they aren’t just beautiful. Most of the time, they are historic places that served more than just the purpose of letting people cross a river, or whatever other reason they were built for. Their existence led to specific events in world history — like a battle, an important meeting between two leaders, or an uprising — or symbolized a sign of friendship between two countries. So the next time you’re driving through the countryside or exploring a new city, keep an eye out for famous bridges because, most of the time, they have a rich history that deserves to be learned. 

We’re not tourist guides, but we want to let you in on our favorite spots where you can see magnificent and mysterious bridges that seem to have been lifted out of a book and dropped into reality.