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The array of amazing bridges on our top 15 list spans from antiquity to modernity. While styles and materials have varied over time and by region, each example combines form and function for original, striking, and in some cases, playful effects. While all our picks contribute to the aesthetics of their environment, some have also assumed symbolic significance, defining the character of a given location and its people. Take a tour around the world and throughout history with our seriously striking slideshow.
The 15 Coolest Bridges Around The World
Khaju Bridge
Khaju Bridge
Location: Isfahan, Iran
Architect: Shah Abbas II
Built as a crossing, damn and public meeting spot--octagonal pavilions offer awesome views--Khaju Bridge was constructed around 1650 AD on the foundations of an older bridge. While much has been lost to time, the bridge originally featured ornate artistic tile works and paintings. Khaju is 345 feet long and 50 wide with a total of 23 arches.
Ponte Vecchio
Ponte Vecchio
Location: Florence, Italy
Architect: Unknown
A stone arch structure over the Arno River, Ponte Vecchio is one of the few medieval bridges that still has shops along it, as was popular at that time. While the bridge that stands today was built in 1345, several earlier versions dating as far back as the 1st Century AD stood at the site, all of which washed away in floods. The architect of the bridge remains a point of contention with three different men as candidates.
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Architect: William Tierney Clark
"Chain Bridge," as it's most often called, was designed to be a larger version of Marlowe Bridge in England. It was constructed piecemeal: architect William Tierney Clark sent sections from The United Kingdom to Hungary for construction on site. Originally opened in 1849, the bridge was rebuilt in 1949 following severe damage from World War II.
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge
Location: London, England
Architect: Sir Horace Jones, Sir John Wolfe Barry and George D. Stevenson
This combined bascal and suspension bridge went through five major contractors over eight years before completion in 1894. While the ends of the Victorian Gothic structure are suspension bridges, the central span contains two equal bascules, which can be raised for river traffic. The two 213-foot towers are tied together at the top by two horizontal walkways.
Magdeburg Water Bridge
Magdeburg Water Bridge
Location: Magdeburg, Germany
Architect: Ingenieurbüro Grassl GmbH Beratende Ingenieure Bauwesen
The longest navigable aqueduct in the world at 3,012 feet, this water bridge was completed in 2003 to connect the Elbe-Havel Canal to the Mittellandkanal. Construction was initiated in the 1930's but World War II and the division of Germany thereafter suspended work more than 60 years.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Architect: J. J. C. Bradfield
Nicknamed "The Coathanger" due to its two 28‑panel arch trusses, Sydney Harbor Bridge allows pedestrians, trains, automobiles and cyclist to travel between the central business district and the North Shore of the city. Built in 1932 and influenced by Hell Gate Bridge in New York, Sydney Harbor Bridge still holds the record for tallest steel arch bridge in the world, measuring 440 feet from top to water level.
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The Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Architect: John Roebling
Completed in 1883, The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the U.S. An estimated 27 people died—including the original architect—during the construction of this National Historic Landmark. Over 4,000 pedestrians and 3,100 bicyclists cross the neo-Gothic bridge each day.
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The Navajo Bridge
The Navajo Bridge
Location: Lee's Ferry, Arizona
Architect: The Arizona Highway Department
The Navajo Bridge is actually comprised of two steel arch bridges, one made in 1927 and another added in 1995 to support increased traffic flow. The original crossing is still accessible by foot or horse but all cars must take the newer route across Colorado River's Marble Canyon.
The Sunniberg Bridge
The Sunniberg Bridge
Location: Klosters, Switzerland
Architect: Christian Menn
The Sunniberg Bridge was finished in 1998 and has since won several awards for its aesthetically appealing design that's almost as gorgeous as the surrounding landscape. The 1,725 foot long bridge rises an average of 180 feet above the valley and riverbed below.
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Erasmus Bridge
The Erasmus Bridge
Location: Rotterdam, Holland
Architect: Ben van Berkel
This 2,631 foot long cable-stayed bridge that connects the northern and southern parts of Rotterdam is nicknamed "The Swan" thanks to a 456 foot high asymmetrical pylon. The bridge was designed by Ben van Berkel and completed in 1996.
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The Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge
The Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge
Location: Brasília, Brazil
Architect: Alexandre Chan and Mario Vila Verde
Often abbreviated as the JK Bridge, this steel and concrete structure completed in 2002 spans 3,900 feet across Lake Paranoá in Brasília. Three 200-foot-tall asymmetrical steel arches that crisscross diagonally support the deck weight and provide the bridge's overall parabolic shape.
Millau Viaduct
Millau Viaduct
Location: Millau, France
Architect: Michel Virlogeux and Norman Foster
A cable-stayed road bridge built between 2001 and 2004, Millau Viaduct spans nearly 8,100 feet across the valley of the River Tarn. Often noted for its striking silhouette, architects Virlogeux and Foster have received a number of awards for the structure's design.
The Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge
Location: San Francisco, California
Architect: Joseph Strauss, Irving Morrow and Charles Alton Ellis
This picturesque suspension bridge cost about 35 million dollars and took four years to complete between 1933 and 1937. With a main span of 4,200 feet, The Golden Gate was the longest suspension bridge in the world until 1965.
Bloukrans Bridge
Bloukrans Bridge
Location: Nature's Valley, South Africa
Architect: Liebenberg & Stander Western Cape Ltd
This impressive arch bridge built in the early 1980's is the highest road bridge on the continent at 708 feet. It's also the highest spot on Earth with commercial bungee jumping.
Pont du Gard Aqueduct
Pont du Gard Aqueduct
Location: Nîmes, France
One of the greatest engineering feats of The Roman Empire, this beauty over the Gardon River consists of three levels that stand 160 feet high and stretch 900 feet long. While Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa has long been credited as the bridge's architect, more recent evidence suggests construction occurred after his time, between 40 and 60 AD.