19 bridges you must cross before you die

Literally meaning ‘old bridge’ in Italian, the Ponte Vecchio is a bridge in Florence that dates back to medieval times and was once occupied by butchers. Today, it is a tourist hub that houses jewelers, souvenir shops and art houses and various other vendors that would interest every traveller

Popular with Bollywood fans for being the bridge shown in the film ‘Don 2’, this 125-metres long curved pedestrian cable-stayed bridge is a landmark location one must visit when travelling around Malaysia. (Text: Kunal Guha)

This water bridge in Germany opened in 2003 and is the longest navigable aqueduct in the world

Fancy the idea of driving into the sea? Then you should surely check out this bridge in Florida Keys, USA which connects Knight’s Key and Little Duck Keys. No prizes for guessing the length of this bridge which stretches across 10.93 kilometres

A part of the Leonardo Bridge Project initiated by Norwegian artist and painter, Vebjørn Sand, this bridge in Akershus, Norway is a foot bridge like few others. The philosophy of this project is to build practical foot bridges around the world by using local materials and by empowering local artists to showcase their work

One of the most impressive water bridges around the world, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is over 200 years old and is a World Heritage Site. Managed by the British Waterways, this navigable aqueduct is the longest and highest one in Britain

Famously known as the longest teakwood bridge in the world, the U Bein Bridge in Myanmar is spread across 1200 metres and is supported by over 1000 pillars and several thousand wooden planks. The best time to visit this bridge would be post afternoon when the cool breeze from the Taungthaman Lake can be relaxing and the stunning sights of the sunset make it one of the most scenic places in and around Mandalay

The tallest bridge in the world (at 343 metres from the ground to one mast’s summit), the Millau Viaduct Bridge is also the 12th highest bridge in the world in terms of height from the ground to deck (at 270 metres). Offering stunning sights of the River Tarn valley below, is also one of the most scenic drives in France. This cable-stayed bridge is an architectural wonder that was opened to the public in 2004

Trust the Dutch to come up with twisted designs but this one takes it up a notch. This 42 metres-long bridge called ‘The Twist Bridge’ or the Vlaardingse Vaart Bridge is restricted to cyclists and pedestrians and its three-dimensional design makes it a tourist attraction worth visiting

If you’re heading south from Tokyo towards the resorts at the Izu Peninsula, you cannot miss this astounding example of engineering and design. Spiraling around like a serpent, the Kawazu-Nanadaru Loop Bridge in Kawazu, Japan shows us that navigating across mountains doesn’t need to be as boring as tunnels or as risky as hillside roads. Only word of advice before you cross this bridge: the speed limit over it is 30 kilometres/ hour, try and stick to it

While this bridge may not be one that offers stunning sights or even one that has pushed the boundaries of engineering or design, there’s reason enough for every tourist in Cologne to check it out. The Hohenzollernbruecke Bridge or the Love Lock Bridge in Cologne, Germany is singular for the thousands of padlocks called love padlocks which are affixed to the fence on the bridge. These locks bear the names of couples and lovers who consider these locks to be a symbol of their eternal love

Ever dreamt of being Moses and parting the sea? Then this sunken bridge that runs across a moat in North Brabant called the Moses Bridge for obvious reasons should catch your fancy. From a distance, this bridge may not even be visible and pedestrians walking over it would appear to be submerged in the moat

The Chengyang Bridge is a two-platform bridge which is also a corridor, a veranda and a Chinese pavilion. Covered bridges, often called the rain and wind bridges are common in China and are known for their distinctive design and excellence in carpentry. One thing that sets them apart from the rest is that no nails were used in their construction and special groove joints were used to hold them together

Apart from being Europe’s highest suspension bridge, this Swiss creation joins the towns of Engelberg and Gerschnialp, offering unparallel sights of the famous Mount Titlis. About 3000 metres above sea level, this is a walk over stunning glaciers and one can reach the bridge through an underground tunnel

Snaking around the slopes of Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, the Linn Cove Viaduct in North Carolina is a 1,243-foot concrete segmental bridge that would delight every nature lover. Built on seven pillars, this bridge is often called one of the most environmentally-friendly bridges in the world as it was built without disturbing the natural beauty around it. Also no access roads were built to ensure that the surrounding mountains weren’t damaged in any way

Often called the bridge to nowhere, the Storseisundet Bridge is the longest of the 8 bridges that make up the Atlantic Road and is known for its sharp bends and rollercoaster-esque driving experience

One of the 11 bridges in the Iranian city of Isfahan, Si-o-se Pol or the bridge of 33 arches is one of the stunning examples of Safavid bridge design, a quintessentially Iranian architectural design. Built with bricks and stones, this Iranian masterpiece crosses over the Zayandeh River

Nobody works on the fifth, sixth and seventh floors of the Gate Tower Building in Osaka. Why? Because it’s used by the express highway that winds through the building, right through those three floors. If you’re working in this building, the elevator may not give you the option of alighting on these floors though as it will directly speed through from the fourth to the eight floor. But a drive on this express highway will be a singular experience as you will get to zip in and out of a building’s tummy. Just another day in Osaka

Prague is particularly known for its Gothic structures and sculptures made of stone. This bridge that crosses over the Vltava river is one of them. Connecting the Old Town to the Prague Castle, this was an important bridge and even a trade route between Eastern and Western Europe. Crossing the bridge today would also mean getting a glimpse of the local art scene in Prague as many artists set up their kiosks here to sell their work