Railroad viaduct Koblenz-Waldshut

The Koblenz-Waldshut railroad viaduct is a steel truss bridge that crosses the Rhine between Germany and Switzerland. The structure connects the German town of Waldshut-Tiengen with the Swiss village of Koblenz through a system of heavy metal beams and supports.

The viaduct was completed in 1859 and marked the first railway connection between Germany and Switzerland. The bridge was built as part of a larger railway line that brought both countries closer together and made trade easier.

The structure shows 19th-century engineering craftsmanship and how builders worked with the river and national boundaries at that time. Visitors can still see the careful metalwork and massive supports from both sides of the Rhine.

The bridge is not accessible to pedestrians as it is reserved for trains only. The best viewpoints are from the Rhine banks on both the German and Swiss sides of the river.

The structure was designed with generous spacing to eventually accommodate a second railway track, though this was never constructed. This forward-thinking approach shows how engineers of that era already planned for long-term traffic growth.

Location: Waldshut-Tiengen

Location: Koblenz

Inception: August 18, 1859

Part of: Germany–Switzerland border, list of cultural properties in Koblenz

GPS coordinates: 47.60909,8.23419

Latest update: December 8, 2025 21:03