Germany's Bridges

This Roman Bridge spanning the Moselle in Trier is the oldest standing bridge in Germany. It was originally made of wood, but the Romans later replaced it with stone and basalt from the nearby Eifel Mountains. The stone pillars that remain today date back to the 2nd century AD. The upper half was renovated in the 12th century and again in the 18th century after bombing by French troops.

Built in 1963 during the Cold War, The Fehmarn Sound Bridge was embedded with explosive vaults due of concerns about a potential invasion. The bridge spans across a section of the Baltic Sea, linking the island of Fehmarn with the north-eastern tip of the German mainland. The six vaults beneath the road on the mainland side were connected to a nearby control point.

Grocers once sold their wares from stands here, at a time when Krämerbrücke was part of the Via Regia trade route running through the Holy Roman Empire. Today the colorful bridge over the Gera River is lined on both sides with galleries and artisan shops. The Krämerbrückenfest town festival celebrating Medieval times takes place around the bridge and old town each June.

Some early wooden bridges had roofs to protect the main structure from the elements. The Holzbrücke (wooden bridge) over the Rhine connects Bad Säckingen in Germany with the Swiss town of Stein. It was built in 1272 but suffered damage from floods during the Middle Ages. This current version was completed in 1700. At almost 204 meters (670 feet) it is the longest roofed wooden bridge in Europe.

The expansion of railway lines across Germany in the 1800s posed new engineering challenges. The Göltzch Viaduct, built across the Göltzsch Valley in Saxony, was considered an extremely ambitious project, mainly because of its scale and impressive archways. It was the tallest railway bridge in the world at the time it opened in 1851 and remains the largest brick-built bridge in the world.

Bridges can provide access to otherwise unattainable places. In 1851 the sandstone Bastei Bridge was built in Saxon Switzerland National Park, making it possible for visitors to wander among giant rock formations almost 200 meters (660 feet) above the Elbe River. Masses of tourists flock to the park each year to see the towering sandstone pillars and panoramic forest views.

The Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen became a strategically important channel into Nazi Germany during World War Two. It was captured by US troops in March 1945 and miraculously survived repeated Nazi bombing raids. Ten days after its capture, however, the bridge collapsed into the Rhine, killing a number of soldiers. The surviving bridge towers, seen here, have been turned into a peace museum.

When the Berlin Wall was built in 1961, the Oberbaum Bridge became part of the border separating the city's east from west. Armed guards patrolled the banks of the River Spree and manned the bridge's crossover checkpoint. Today the double-decker structure connects the districts of Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg and has become a landmark symbol of city's unity after the wall fall in 1989.

Hohenzollern Bridge was the only bridge in Cologne to survive airstrikes during World War Two. Today, this Rhine crossing is facing an onslaught of a different kind. Tens of thousands of couples have hung padlocks on the bridge's frame as a symbol of their love. The weight of the love locks is estimated to be more than two tonnes.

After reunification, work began to open up water transport routes across Germany. The Magdeburg Water Bridge was completed in 2003 at a cost of around 500 million euros ($675 million) giving transport ships a shortcut between the Elbe-Havel and Mittelland canals. This water bridge spans more than 900 meters (3,000 feet) across the Elbe River, making it the largest navigable aqueduct in the world.

As its name suggests, the Three Countries Bridge crosses three national borders, from Weil am Rhein in Germany, via Switzerland, to Huningue in France. The 248 meter (800 foot) structure was built in 2007 over the Rhine and is the longest bridge exclusively for pedestrians and cyclists in the world. It was awarded the German Bridge Construction Prize in 2008.

This humble decommissioned railway bridge in the city of Wuppertal is hardly a prime example of architectural design, but it did attract some buzz after graffiti artist Martin Heuwold gave it a makeover in 2011. The artist worked with a team of unemployed people to transform dull concrete into giant colorful Lego bricks.