Bridges, Bridges, Bridges! On Stamps

The "Innere Wynigenbrücke" is a covered timber bridge which crosses the Emme in Burgdorf. It was constructed in 1776 and has been renovated and even moved since then. Today it is a footbridge. Second stamp in the Pro Patria set, 2003.

And again the German bridge in japanese performance

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The old bridge of St Jean across the Doubs in the ancient town of Ursanne has already appeared at the top of page 13. In earlier days a dragon lived there but he has retired. The bridge itself was renovated a few years ago and now doesn't look as if it would collapse any moment. 3rd stamp in the Pro Patria set of 2003.




(Hi Alexey, Nice stamp of Bamberg! See page 13. K.)

The Reussbrücke across the river of the same name in the county of Aargau was completed at the beginning of the past century. A few years ago (after the stamp was issued) the steel construction was completely taken apart, renovated as well as raised and now serves again as a one-lane connection between Rottenschwil and Unterlunkhofen. 4th stamp in the Pro Patria set of 2003.

The Via Gottardo is one of the longest and oldest paths across the Alps. There is a museum in Sust Horgen at Lake Zürich which displays many artifacts from bygone days of this historic route. It was used for centuries by traders who carried their wares or lead their pack mules along perilous alpine trails. Nowadays it is a favorite among backpacking hikers. The stamp is one of 4 in the Pro Patria set of 2007; the other 3 also show paths across the alps.

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In 1799 the army of Suvorov passed the St. Gotthard Pass fighting against the army of Napoleon. The stamp shows the battle for the Devil's Bridge

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One of the most scenic sections of the Via Gottardo is the Schöllenen Ravine. It was so difficult to build even a footbridge there that it could only be done with the help of the devil. He said he would help if he were given the first soul to cross the bridge. A clever goatherd sent one of his animals across, whereupon the devil was so angry he threatened to throw a huge boulder on the bridge. But an old lady rescued the bridge by making a cross on the boulder, causing the devil to miss his aim. It can be seen further down the valley (ca. 2,000 tons). Since then the bridge is known as the Devil's Bridge. He and the goat have been honored by a painting done by Heinrich Danioth on the rock face at the entrance to the new road tunnel. Hi Alexey, I added a picture of the monument to the hundreds of soldiers who died there in that fateful battle of 1799; it is called the Suvorov memorial.

In 2008 the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) games were played in several countries. Austria issued a set of 8 stamps featuring them. The one for Switzerland shows the Mittlere Brücke of Basel. In the stamp one looks upriver toward the cathedral, in the photo one looks downriver.

The bridge over a small part of Lake Gruyere and the Gibloux transmission tower were issued together for the day of the postage stamp in Switzerland; note the unusual perforations for the mountain range.

The Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico (Chihuahua-Pacific Railway), also known as El Chepe, is a major rail line in northwest Mexico, linking the city of Chihuahua, to the city of Los Mochis, and its port Topolobampo. It runs 673 km, traversing the Copper Canyon. The tracks pass over 37 large and many small bridges (puentes) and through 86 tunnels, rising as high as 2,400 m. Construction took several decades and was finished in 1961. Photo, one of the bridges.

Hi Nells, the suspension bridge for road traffic between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales is very impressive. It was designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826. Before that, the island had no fixed connection to the mainland except for ferries across the fast flowing and dangerous waters of the Menai Strait. I found the scan of an old drawing, 1840.

we need a "LIKE" option! ;-)

The Kawarau suspension bridge crosses the Kawarau Gorge on South Island, New Zealand. It was completed in 1880 and still serves as a footbridge across the turbulent waters of the Kawarau river. It is also the first bridge to carry a commercial bungee/bungy jumping site set up by the New Zealander Hackett (43 meters to the water).

(Hi Nells, glad you liked it. K.)

One of Italy's most colorful cities is Bosa, Sardinia. The old Ponte Vecchio was built of reddish trachyte stone, has three arches and crosses the River Temo. In the stamp one sees the 12th century Castell Malaspina above the town.