Bridges - The Most Recognizable Symbols a City Has to Offer

Connecting one place to another, often providing amazing architectural solutions in many ways, and yet shining as the city’s "brightest superstar", bridges are symbols that fascinate designers, travelers, and just about everyone else. The world collects them decade by decade and there are many bridges we would want to recommend. From the old beauties to the modern world-class designs, we are bringing you the list of the world’s most remarkable bridges.

Tower Bridge, London, UK

One of the most famous bridges in the world was built in eight years and it took over 400 construction workers working every day to build it. Tower Bridge crosses over the river Thames, where two massive piers were sunk to support the construction and it was the perfect solution for the ships that could still easily pass under the bridge. The elegance of the bridge came with the Cornish granite and Portland stone that primarily serve as the protection of the steelwork underneath. What’s fun for tourists is the option to go inside the bridge, where they could learn more about the history and enjoy the view of London from the walkway between two towers.

Harbor Bridge, Sydney, Australia

The great idea for building this beautiful arch bridge started in 1914, when on the other side of the world the Great War, World War I began. Harbor Bridge, the world’s largest steel arch bridge, was finally completed in 1932. The flawless calculation was needed for two halves of the arch to be connected. Today the bridge holds eight car lanes, 2 rail trails, one cycling and pedestrian way, plus a trail for tourists. Climbing on the top of the arch will give you a spectacular view of Sydney, but it takes about three hours to get there.

Gateshead Millenium Bridge, New Castle, UK

This amazing bridge, with the unconventional solution of tilting as it lets the ships come through, uses huge joints to rotate. Each opening and closing of the Gateshead Millenium Bridge takes about four and a half minutes. In 2001 there were 36,000 people lined up to see the bridge tilt for the first time. Tilting is performed by six arms while the bridge cleans up its own litter - literally anything that drops on the deck automatically rolls into special traps at each end of the bridge every time it opens.

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, USA

Despite the hazardous conditions and environmental challenges for the bridge to be built in the open ocean, Joseph Strauss and his talented team made it happen and the Golden Gate Bridge was opened to the public in 1937. Well known as the most photogenic bridge in the world, the symbol of "Californian Cool" is not painted in gold, but chose to be painted in distinctive and warm orange as a contrast to cool colors of the sky and the ocean. Painting the bridge as a part of the maintenance is protecting the Golden Gate Bridge from high salt content that’s in the air and that would bring rust and corrodes to the steel.

Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, Japan

The largest miracle of engineering that links the city of Kobe on the mainland of Japanese island Honshu with Awaji Island took more than a decade to be built. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge has the longest central span of any suspension bridge in the world. Before it was open to the public in 1998 it had to go through some extreme weather condition tests like typhoons, earthquakes, and high wind speeds.

Millau Viaduct, Millau, France

With being 1,125’ (343 meters) above the base of the structure, Millau Viaduct is the tallest bridge in the world. Stunning in the architectural and design sense, this beautiful bridge broke a few other records when it was opened to the public, in December 2004. It is the highest road bridge in Europe, it has the highest pylons in the world, and it’s another example of how grand France can be when it comes to architecture, design, and construction.

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