Hämeensilta, Arch bridge in Tampere, Finland.
Hämeensilta is an arch bridge over the Tammerkoski rapids in Tampere, Finland, built in concrete and faced with red granite. It connects the Kyttälä district to the western side of the city and is wide enough to carry trams, cars, cyclists, and pedestrians side by side.
A crossing at this spot has linked the two banks of the Tammerkoski rapids since the 16th century, first in wood and later in steel. The current bridge, completed in 1929, replaced the older structure as the industrial city grew and modernized.
The bridge carries four bronze figures by sculptor Wäinö Aaltonen: a Finnish Maiden, a tax collector, a tradesman, and a hunter. They stand at the piers and serve as a natural meeting point for people crossing the city center.
The bridge is open around the clock and sits in the heart of Tampere's city center, making it easy to reach on foot. The best views of the arches and bronze figures come from the riverbanks on either side of the rapids.
The Finnish Maiden figure from the bridge was shown at the 1939 New York World's Fair and later appeared on a Finnish postage stamp. That journey across the Atlantic gave the sculpture a public profile far beyond the city where it stands.
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