Spreuer Bridge, Lucerne, Medieval covered wooden bridge in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Spreuer Bridge is a covered wooden footbridge that crosses the Reuss River in Lucerne with two sections set at different angles. The structure features a wooden roof that protects the passage and displays painted works on its interior surfaces.
A first bridge was built in the 13th century, linking the Mühlenplatz on the right bank of the Reuss with mills in the middle of the river. The extension to the left bank was completed around 1408. A flood destroyed the bridge in 1566; it was rebuilt with a granary bridgehead called the Herrenkeller, and the northern section near the mills followed in 1591.
The triangular panels under the roof carry a Danse Macabre, the Totentanz, painted from 1616 to 1637 under Kaspar Meglinger; 45 of the original 67 panels survive. Each panel usually shows the donor's coat of arms at lower left and his wife's at right, with explanatory verses and donor names on the black frames. The cycle is the largest known Totentanz.
The bridge is freely accessible to pedestrians and forms part of the natural walking route through the city. The walkway can be narrow and crowded, especially during peak hours or tourist season.
The name comes from a historical practice where residents were allowed to discard grain waste into the river only from this bridge. This unusual regulation shaped the bridge's identity for centuries.
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