Burtscheider Viadukt, Railway bridge in Aachen, Germany
The Burtscheider Viaduct is a railway bridge in Aachen featuring a series of brick arches spanning across the Warmweiherbach valley. The structure carries two rail tracks connecting Aachen Central Station to Cologne and handles international train routes.
The viaduct was built between 1838 and 1840 by the Rheinische Eisenbahn company and was among Germany's first major railway viaducts of this scale. A section was damaged during World War II and later reconstructed, though the original architectural character was maintained.
The viaduct represents North Rhine-Westphalia's industrial heritage, demonstrating 19th-century German engineering and architectural methods through its brick construction techniques.
The best views of this structure come from the side or below, where the brick arch construction becomes fully visible. The bridge is accessible year-round and located just a short walk from Aachen's city center.
Despite wartime damage and repairs, the viaduct still displays visible differences between the original brick arches and the later metal sections at certain points. These contrasts tell the story of its survival in physical form.
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