Mühlesteg, footbridge in Zürich (ZH), Switzerland

Mühlesteg is a steel truss bridge over the Limmat River in Zürich that connects two sides of the city. The bridge has a simple, functional design with triangular framework elements that provide stability and does not rise far above the water.

The 1982 footbridge stands between the sites of two earlier structures: the Obere Mühlesteg, demolished in 1943 and replaced by today's Rudolf-Brun-Brücke, and the Untere Mühlesteg, demolished in 1950, which led to the former Papierwerd island. Construction was largely financed by private funds. A 2019 project to relocate and widen the bridge in connection with the Globus-Provisorium area was rejected.

The name Mühlesteg refers to mills that once stood along the river and used its power. Today, the bridge is a place where locals and visitors pass through daily, often pausing to look at the water and the historic buildings nearby.

The Mühlesteg is a pedestrian bridge linking the Niederdorf on the right bank with the Bahnhofquai on the left bank of the Limmat. It was renovated in 2023, so the deck and railings are in good condition. A project to relocate and widen the bridge, tied to the redevelopment around the Globus-Provisorium, was rejected in February 2019.

Since around 2012, visitors have been placing padlocks on the bridge's railing, often called love locks, which have become a defining sight. The city allows this practice, and it has become a common habit for many years.