Mirabrug, Swing bridge in Hamme, Belgium

Mirabrug is a swing bridge crossing the Durme River with a mechanical rotating system that opens to allow boat traffic through the waterway. The structure spans between the two banks and operates multiple times each day to permit vessels passage.

Built between 1896 and 1900, the bridge was blown up by local residents at the start of World War I to stop German troops and their equipment. It was protected as a monument in 1991, restored in 2002 for two million euros funded by the Flemish Region, and reopened on 21 January 2003 in the presence of actors Willeke van Ammelrooy and Jan Decleir.

The bridge takes its name from Mira, Fons Rademakers' 1971 film adaptation of Stijn Streuvels' novel De teleurgang van den Waterhoek, scripted by Hugo Claus and starring Willeke van Ammelrooy and Jan Decleir. The two actors attended the bridge's reopening on 21 January 2003. The 7.5 km Den Bunt walking route starts at the bridge and ends at the Filip De Pillecyn monument.

The best time to watch the mechanical system in action is on days when the bridge opens for boat passage. Cyclists and pedestrians can cross freely at any time, and there are parking areas nearby along with spots to stay by the waterfront.

The bridge owes its name to Mira, Fons Rademakers' 1971 film adaptation of Stijn Streuvels' novel De teleurgang van de Waterhoek, scripted by Hugo Claus and starring Willeke van Ammelrooy and Jan Decleir. The bridge Streuvels actually described was the Vierendeel bridge between Ruien and Avelgem, not this one. The actors attended the reopening on 21 January 2003.