This is a list of the 18 bridges spanning the river Aare on the territory of the city of Bern, Switzerland.
With the historical city core situated on a steeply-flanked peninsula formed by the river, the Aare is a defining part of Bern's cityscape and features prominently in the city's 800-year history. Given its topography, the city's development in modern times was dependent on the construction of long high level bridges. Their construction in the 19th and 20th century at times stretched the limits of the possible.[1]
The building of the great bridges was a continuous topic of political controversy in Bern up until World War II. The disputes about the location and even the construction materials of the bridges – stone or iron – reflected the rivalry between the city's conservative and liberal factions.[2] __TOC__
In the table, "length" refers to the distance between abutments. The height is measured from the pavement to the mean water level.
| Image | Name and description | Opened | Length | Height | Span | Location | [3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Untertorbrücke Built in wood 1256, rebuilt in stone 1489. The city's only Aare bridge up until 1834.[4] | 1256 / 1489 | 52.5m (172.2feet) | 8m (26feet) | 15m (49feet), also twice 14m (46feet) | 46.9493°N 7.4584°W | 6 | |
| Neubrügg ("new bridge"): First built in 1466 to replace a ferry, rebuilt in 1535. Covered bridge on sandstone pillars, oldest wooden bridge in the Canton.[5] | 1466 / 1535 | 91m (299feet) | 6m (20feet) | 21m (69feet) to 16m (52feet), 5 spans | 46.9738°N 7.4281°W | 17 | |
| Altenbergsteg Footbridge built to connect the city to the Altenberg residential area. Built in wood in 1834 to replace an 1823 ferry, rebuilt in iron 1857. | 1834 / 1857 | 57m (187feet) | 5m (16feet) | 57m (187feet) | 46.9502°N 7.4485°W | 7 | |
| Nydeggbrücke First high level bridge, sheathed in sandstone.[6] Its main arch is the widest stone arch in continental Europe.[7] Built by a consortium of conservative burghers and financed through usage fees. | 1840 | 148m (486feet) | 23m (75feet) | 46m (151feet) (main arch), 17m (56feet) (side arches) | 46.9485°N 7.4584°W | 5 | |
| Tiefenaubrücke High level stone bridge built by the liberal government in reaction to the Nydeggbrücke.[8] Original design marred by 1977 broadening.[9] Parallel railway bridge opened 1965. | 1850 | 92m (302feet) | 31m (102feet) | 25m (82feet), thrice | 46.977°N 7.4568°W | 14 | |
| Dalmazibrücke Riverbank-level bridge in the Marzili neighbourhood, originally built as an iron bridge in 1872; demolished and rebuilt in prestressed concrete in 1958.[10] | 1872 / 1958 | 63m (207feet) | 4m (13feet) | 20m (70feet), thrice | 46.9445°N 7.4458°W | 3 | |
| Kirchenfeldbrücke First iron high level bridge, inspired by contemporary English designs. Built to develop the . | 1883 | 229m (751feet) | 39m (128feet) | 86m (282feet), twice | 46.9459°N 7.4485°W | 4 | |
| Kornhausbrücke High level bridge of stone and iron intended to develop the Lorraine neighbourhood.[11] | 1898 | 355m (1,165feet) | 48m (157feet) | 115m (377feet) and five times 36m (118feet) | 46.9506°N 7.4485°W | 8 | |
| Schönausteg Iron footbridge in the style of the Altenbergsteg, near the Dählhölzli zoo.[12] | 1906 | 54m (177feet) | 4m (13feet) | 54m (177feet) | 46.9344°N 7.446°W | 1 | |
| Halenbrücke High level concrete bridge, only lightly reinforced, leading to Kirchlindach.[13] | 1913 | 234m (768feet) | 38m (125feet) | 87m (285feet) and four times 21m (69feet) | 46.9711°N 7.4185°W | 18 | |
| Seftausteg Iron footbridge at the Felsenau power plant. | 1921 | 53m (174feet) | 5m (16feet) | 53m (174feet) | 46.9694°N 7.4389°W | 16 | |
| Felsenaubrücke First built by the army as a wooden bridge in 1929, rebuilt as a solid-web girder bridge made of packed concrete in 1949.[14] Not to be confused with the later Felsenauviadukt. | 1928 / 1949 | 63m (207feet) | 8m (26feet) | 16m (52feet), thrice | 46.976°N 7.4405°W | 15 | |
| Lorrainebrücke First reinforced concrete high level bridge, built in the then-popular Heimatstil to resemble the older stone bridges.[15] | 1930 | 178m (584feet) | 38m (125feet) | 82m (269feet) | 46.9529°N 7.4433°W | 9 | |
| Lorraine railway viaduct or Lorraineviadukt: Built in concrete by the Federal Railways to replace the aging Rote Brücke. It was the longest four-track railway viaduct in Europe at the time of construction.[16] | 1941 | 1093m (3,586feet) | 43m (141feet) | 150m (490feet) | 46.954°N 7.4419°W | 10 | |
| Monbijoubrücke Designed as a high-traffic four-lane automobile bridge at a peak of general automobile enthusiasm; executed in prestressed concrete.[17] | 1962 | 338m (1,109feet) | 22m (72feet) | 86m (282feet) twice and 81m (266feet) twice | 46.94°N 7.4447°W | 2 | |
| Tiefenaubrücke (RBS) High level bridge in prestressed concrete built alongside the Tiefenaubrücke for the RBS railway.[18] | 1965 | 200m (700feet) | 30m (100feet) | 97m (318feet) | 46.977°N 7.4571°W | 13 | |
| Felsenauviadukt Longest viaduct of the A1 highway and the world's first single-cell box girder bridge built with the cantilever method, a pioneer work in prestressed concrete construction.[19] Design by Christian Menn. | 1975 | 1116m (3,661feet) | 63m (207feet) | 156m (512feet) twice, 48m (157feet) twice | 46.9693°N 7.4477°W | 12 | |
| Stauwehr Engehalde | 1998 | 61m (200feet)[21] | — | — | 46.9655°N 7.4449°W | 11 | |
Apart from the bridges that were rebuilt in the same spot, as noted above, one bridge no longer exists:
| Name and description ! | In operation | Length ! | Height | Span ! | Location | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rote Brücke (Red Bridge): High level bridge on stone pillars; the first railway bridge, iron bridge and double-decker bridge in Bern. Generally referred to by its red colour, it also acquired the sobriquet Würgengel ("Angel of Death") because of frequent fatal accidents.[22] [23] [24] Replaced by the Lorrainebrücke and the modern railway bridge. | 1858–1941 | 164m (538feet) | 43m (141feet) (lower deck) | 57m (187feet) and twice 50m (160feet) | 46.9531°N 7.4429°W | ||||
Before the building of the major bridges, a number of ferries existed in Bern to carry passengers and cargo across the Aare. Two remain in service:[25]
The data in this list are taken from Furrer, p. 154–164, unless otherwise noted.