Alte Saalebrücke Jena-Burgau, Stone footbridge in Burgau, Germany

The Alte Saalebrücke Jena-Burgau is a stone bridge with nine arches spanning the Saale River between the districts of Burgau and Lobeda. It stretches about 142 meters in length and was reinforced with modern concrete during its 2004 restoration, yet maintains its appearance as a historic stone structure.

The bridge began as a wooden structure in 1484 and was gradually rebuilt in stone between 1491 and 1534. This long process shows how demanding such a project was during that time.

The bridge shows how people in the region crossed rivers over centuries and what building skills were needed for such work. Its nine arches tell the story of the craftsmanship that went into creating structures like this long ago.

The bridge is now a foot and cycle path; its deck is about 3.3 m wide, with a maximum width of 5.1 m. The three rebuilt arches are 4.8 m wide and 0.6 m thick in reinforced concrete. The crossing links Burgau and Lobeda, and the parapets are low, so watch children near the edge.

The three arches rebuilt in 2001–2004 are not stone but reinforced concrete, 4.8 m wide and 0.6 m thick, carrying the historic roadway. The original masonry is Terebratula limestone with some Buntsandstein; the piers have wedge-shaped cutwaters upstream and rounded ones downstream.