Alte Nahebrücke, Medieval stone bridge in Bad Kreuznach, Germany
The Alte Nahebrücke is a stone arch bridge spanning the Nahe River and Mühlenteich canal in Bad Kreuznach with eight arches made of sandstone and porphyry stone. It crosses the water for about 135 meters and supports four residential buildings on its upper surface.
Construction began around 1300 under Simon II, Count of Sponheim-Kreuznach, to link settlements and form a crucial route between Mainz and Trier. German troops detonated the river-crossing section in March 1945, after which a concrete structure replaced the damaged arches in 1956.
The bridge carries four timber-framed houses built in the late 1500s and early 1600s, showing how people created living space in a crowded city. These buildings remain part of daily life and offer a window into how past residents used their environment.
The bridge is accessible via Mannheimer Straße and has footpaths between 2 and 3 meters wide on both sides alongside the 6-meter-wide road. Access is straightforward from the old town, and crossing is easy for pedestrians and cyclists.
The river section of the bridge was so damaged by the end of the war that it was not restored but replaced with concrete in the 1950s. This means pedestrians today walk over a modern middle section while crossing on historical stone arches at the sides.
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