Chapel Bridge, Covered wooden footbridge in Lucerne, Switzerland
The Kapellbrücke is a covered wooden footbridge running diagonally across the Reuss, 204.7 metres long including its porches, with a low-pitched tiled roof and open sides. At its middle stands the Wasserturm, an octagonal stone tower 34.5 metres tall with a steep pyramidal roof. The bridge rests on angled timber trestle piers set in the water.
It was built in 1365 as part of the city's medieval fortifications and defenses. After a major fire in 1993 destroyed much of it, the structure was carefully rebuilt to match its original design.
The triangular panels inside the roof, painted by local Catholic artist Hans Heinrich Wägmann in the 17th century, show scenes from Lucerne's history, from the life of St. Leger to the legends of St. Maurice. Each was paid for by a city councillor, whose coat of arms appears on the panel, with an explanatory text printed beneath. Of 111 panels before the 1993 fire, 30 have been restored.
The bridge is open to foot traffic around the clock and offers a straightforward walk across the river. The path is well-lit throughout and flat, making it easy for most visitors to navigate without difficulty.
The bridge's triangular interior panels were sponsored by city councillors, each allowed to add a personal coat of arms to the scene. Of 111 paintings in the gable before 1993, 78 burned; 30 were restored by 1998. The Wasserturm, octagonal and 34.5 m tall, predates the bridge by about 30 years.
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