Nydeggbrücke, Stone arch bridge in Bern, Switzerland
The Nydeggbrücke is a stone arch bridge over the Aare River in Bern, built from Merlinger limestone and blue Ostermundigen sandstone across three arches. The roadway sits about 82 feet (25 m) above the river, and the bridge runs 623 feet (190 m) long and 34 feet (10.5 m) wide.
The bridge was built between 1840 and 1844 under engineer Karl Emanuel Müller, making it the second crossing over the Aare in Bern. Its completion opened up the eastern bank to development and changed how people moved through the city.
The bridge takes its name from the medieval Nydegg Castle that once stood on the nearby hill. Crossing it today means moving from the historic old town on one side to the riverside Matte quarter on the other.
The bridge is easy to reach on foot or by bicycle and offers open views of the river and the surrounding hillsides. Crossing it in clear weather gives a good look at the lower town and the Aare riverbanks below.
The central arch has a span of about 46 meters and was among the largest stone arches in Europe when the bridge was finished. Few visitors today know that this crossing holds the status of a class A Swiss cultural property of national significance.
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