Kinzua Bridge, USA
Most bridges do not offer a view of what they will look like when they are destroyed, but that’s exactly what the Kinzua Bridge in Pennsylvania does. For a short period of time, it was the longest and tallest railroad bridge in the world, clocking in at 2,053 feet (626 meters) long and 301 feet (92 meters) high. In 2003 restoration work was being done on the structure when it was partially destroyed by a tornado.It was determined that rebuilding the bridge would be too expensive, so instead, the remaining structure was converted into a pedestrian walkway that opened in 2011. Six of the still-standing support towers were used in the construction. Although the bridge no longer crosses the gorge, it does lead to a platform from which people can take in the chilling view of the eleven destroyed towers which were blown down and remain twisted at the bottom of the valley
The Bastei Bridge, Germany
The Bastei is a spectacular 636-foot (194-meter) tall jagged rock formation that looms over the Elbe River in Germany. Neurathen Castle used to sit on top of the natural towers until it was burned down in 1484. Although no longer home to a fortress, crowds still visit in droves to see the impressive rocks. In the early 1800s, a wooden bridge was built to link the pillars, and around 1850, it was upgraded to the sandstone bridge that still stands today.Walking the bridge provides a close-up look at the pillars as well as a sweeping panorama of the surrounding mountains and valley below. The dramatic medieval-looking bridge is as much of a draw to the area as the sandstone towers themselves. The view of the bridge nestled between the pillars looks like something straight out of The Lord of the Rings
Las Lajas Sanctuary, Colombia
Las Lajas Sanctuary is a Gothic revival-style church that sits across a gorge in Colombia. The building juts out from one side of the canyon, 330 feet (100 meters) up from the bottom, and is connected to the other side by a 160-foot (49-meter) long bridge spanning the Guáitara River. The current church was built between 1916 and 1949, but a less grand shrine existed before then due to the location supposedly being the site of a miracle.Local legend has it that in 1754, a woman and her deaf-mute daughter sought shelter from a storm in a cave and witnessed the appearance of the Virgin Mary, after which the child could speak and talk. People began making pilgrimages to the cave to ask for miracles, and at some point, an image of Mary supposedly appeared on a slab of stone. This stone is now part of the altar inside the impressive church
The Tianjin Eye on Yongle Bridge, China
The Tianjin Eye in China is unusual compared to other Ferris wheels because it is the only one to be suspended over a river, specifically the Hai River. It stands 394 feet (120 meters) tall, meaning it is dwarfed by the Ain Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which stands at a staggering 820 feet (250 meters) and is currently the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. However, no other observation wheel is attached to a bridge, making the Tianjin Eye and Yongle Bridge unique.The wheel opened to the public in 2008 and can accommodate 384 riders at one time in its 48 compartments, taking 30 minutes to complete a rotation. It is attached to the bridge via visually dramatic tri-pronged struts. At night it is lit up with colorful neon lights, making it an impressive sight for pedestrians crossing the bridge below
living root bridge,India
A living root bridge is a suspension bridge formed from the living roots of trees, usually rubber trees. These living bridges are particularly common in the Indian state of Meghalaya, where the dense jungle means that building roads and bridges from common materials like concrete and steel is impractical. More than 100 living bridges have been formed in the province to enable tribal communities to cross the many rivers in the area.The living bridges are formed by stretching bamboo across the river and then teasing the aerial roots into position. As the trees continue to grow over the years, the bridges become stronger and can accommodate more people crossing. They are currently on Unesco’s tentative list for world heritage site status because they demonstrate “a distinct ethno-botanical journey rooted in profound culture-nature reciprocity and synthesis
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