Johanniterbrücke, Road bridge in Basel-Stadt, Switzerland
The Johanniterbrücke is a prestressed concrete beam road bridge over the Rhine in Basel, the city's third-oldest Rhine crossing. Built 1965–1967 beside the old iron bridge and slid onto two new river piers, it has a main span of 137.3 metres. It carries road traffic, pedestrians and cyclists, but no trams; trolleybus wires crossed it from 1968 to 2004.
Built in 1882, it became the third Rhine crossing in Basel. Tram tracks were added in 1924, making it a key hub for public transportation.
The bridge takes its name from the Johanniter order, whose commandery stood on the Kleinbasel bank near the bridgehead. The 1882 opening was decided by a popular vote in June 1877, and the crossing has linked Kleinbasel with the Grossbasel side ever since.
The bridge carries road traffic, pedestrians and cyclists; trams no longer cross it, though trolleybus overhead wires ran here from 1968 to 2004. The deck is reached from both banks and leads toward the St. Johanns-Tor on the Kleinbasel side. The main span over the river measures 137.3 metres.
At one end of the bridge stands St. Johanns-Tor, one of only three surviving medieval gates from Basel's original city walls. It now sits as a relic next to the modern crossing, marking where the old fortification once stood.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,795 contributors worldwide.