Old Stone Bridge, Regensburg, Germany

Steinerne Brücke in Regensburg is a 12th-century bridge across the Danube linking the Old Town with Stadtamhof. For more than 800 years, until the 1930s, it was the city's only bridge across the river. It is a masterwork of medieval construction and an emblem of the city.

Charlemagne had a wooden bridge built at Regensburg, approximately 100 metres east of the present bridge, but it was inadequate for the traffic and vulnerable to floods, so it was decided to replace it with a stone bridge. The Stone Bridge was built in only eleven years, probably in 1135–46. Louis VII of France and his army used it to cross the Danube on their way to the Second Crusade. It served as a model for other stone bridges built in Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries. For centuries it was the only bridge over the river between Ulm and Vienna, making Regensburg into a major centre of trade and government.

The Stone Bridge is an arch bridge with 16 arches. At the south end, the first arch and first pier were incorporated into the Regensburg Salt Store when it was built in 1616–20, but remain in place under the approach road to the bridge. An archaeological investigation was performed in 2009, and revealed fire damage during the Middle Ages.

References:

Wikipedia

Hohenstaufen Dynasty (Germany)

User Reviews

Laura C NO (11 months ago)
Particular, beautiful, historical, magnificent and unique. It is really a place where you can have a sit and look at the river Danube, or walking around, or going in the Bridge Museum... try it, you will come back the day after and after...

Achim Neu (11 months ago)
The all time great bridge of Regensburg, pretty clever, although not very friendly, history of the bridge and reason it was build. But pretty cool to see such design and fits super cool to the old town section. A bit crowded most of the time and if you decide to drop by, take ur time to enjoy some fresh grilled sausage and an ice cream to either end of the bridge, very tasty.

Paul Heller (11 months ago)
This is the main attraction to see in Regensburg. The bridge itself seems to recently have been cleaned or renovated, as the bricks seem to shine in the sun. The bridge links both sides of the historical city center to each other. It also offers great sunset shots over the Danube.

David Dancey (12 months ago)
An impressive medieval bridge that has been rebuilt and reconstructed. This is one of the oldest bridges on the Danube and is quite wonderful to see, particularly in the evening. However, history enthusiasts should be aware that nearly all of the bridge, or at least the visible parts have been recently reconstructed. The bridge has a side causeway down to one of the islands in the Danube where one can sit and watch the river.

Lex Universe (17 months ago)
The stone bridge is the perfect example of medieval architecture. For nine centuries, this has been the only bridge to have ever been built across the Danube. Isn't that just breathtaking? Today, it still remains one of the oldest bridges north of the Alps. In the 2010s it has undergone a major restoration, therefore I don't have many good pictures, but you get the gist. And if it's not enough, head out to Regensburg yourself :) It may be finished by now. :)

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