Schiffbrücke alte Wuppermündung, Footbridge at Wupper River mouth, Leverkusen, Germany.
This footbridge at the old Wupper mouth is an unusual structure made from three historical ships named Einigkeit, Recht, and Freiheit that span across the water at a key location. The individual vessels are connected together to create a walkable crossing over the river.
A documented bridge connection existed at this location as far back as 1775, known as the Imperial Bridge, before ferry services took over the crossing. The present ship bridge made of connected vessels represents a later solution to reconnect this historic river point.
The three vessels forming the bridge represent different types of working ships from the Dutch tradition and each one reflects a particular craft from the river trade of that era. Walking across them, you experience a piece of regional shipping heritage that was essential to life along these waterways.
The crossing is accessible on weekends from 1 PM onward and features a small café with drinks and snacks. Weekday visits can be arranged by contacting the supporting association in advance.
This is the last surviving ship bridge of its kind spanning the Rhine and its tributaries in this region and has been listed in Leverkusen's monument register since 1983. The unusual construction using three vessels joined together as a bridge represents a rare and creative engineering solution for crossing the water.
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