Ponte do Rio Ave, Stone bridge in Caldelas, Portugal

The Ponte das Taipas is a slab bridge over the Ave River at Caldas das Taipas, near Guimarães, built of precisely cut granite blocks in the modern era rather than in Roman times. It is about 60 m long and rests on 34 piers set roughly 2 m apart. The deck, around 5.50 m wide, is paved with numerous slabs and edged by stone blocks about 25 cm high, probably part of the original design.

The bridge is built of precisely cut granite blocks and, despite speculation, is not of Roman origin but was erected in the modern era; a Roman or medieval predecessor cannot be ruled out. It is a National Monument of Portugal.

The bridge carries the name Ponte das Taipas, after the town of Caldas das Taipas it serves near Guimarães. Its granite slabs are laid side by side across the full width, and the low stone blocks along the edges, about 25 cm high, are thought to belong to the original construction. The crossing remains in use for pedestrians and cyclists.

The deck is about 5.50 m wide, with a walkway covered by numerous stone slabs and flanked by rows of roughly 25 cm high granite blocks instead of modern railings. The bridge is around 60 m long and rests on 34 piers set just under 2 m apart, so crossing on foot or by bicycle means passing between these low stone edges.

The bridge rests on 34 granite piers about 2 m apart, and its roughly 25 cm high stone blocks along the edges probably belong to the original construction. Such parapets would make it nearly unique among comparable European bridges.