Vallcarca bridge, Reinforced-concrete viaduct in Gràcia, Barcelona, Spain
Vallcarca bridge connects two elevated areas across a former gulley, featuring decorative elements including four groups of winged lions with Catalan shields. The structure is made of steel-reinforced concrete and runs between the Coll and Putxet hills, accommodating both vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Residents of El Coll demanded a bridge over the Vallcarca stream and donated land and funds; the city approved the work in 1907. The first stone was laid on 24 August 1908, and the first section over the Sant Genís path was finished in 1909. In 1917 architects Lluís Homs and Eduard Ferrés replaced Miquel Pascual's iron design with reinforced concrete, and the viaduct opened on 3 March 1923.
Locals call it the "puente de los suicidas" (bridge of suicides), a nickname it shared with Madrid's viaducto de Segovia until the 1970s. The bridge appears in Juan Marsé's novel La oscura historia de la prima Montse and in the film Tres metros sobre el cielo, and it features in a Superlópez comic, El asombro del robot.
The bridge is located at Carrer de Gomis 2 and is freely accessible to foot and vehicle traffic at all times. The structure is stable and well-maintained, making it a safe passage between the two hills.
Until the 1970s the bridge was nicknamed "puente de los suicidas", a reputation that inspired Juan Marsé's novel La oscura historia de la prima Montse and the film Tres metros sobre el cielo. The semicircular balconies over each pillar were built as miradors, though they look onto the avenue and the Coll hill rather than the sea.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,371 contributors worldwide.