The world is full of beautiful sights, marvelous cities and breath-taking natural beauty. Some of the most impressive manmade structures seen throughout the world are the architectural marvels that get us from one side of a river or body of water to the other.
One such bridge that featured regularly in the lives of Michelangelo and Leonardo de Vinci was the Ponte Vecchio which spans the Arno River that flows through Florence Italy. Miraculously it survived the ravages of World War 2. When it was first built it served as a commerce hub, with actual built-in butcher shops. Now jewelry shops flourish in the same locations. Ponte Vecchio also has the renown honor of being the location where the concept of bankruptcy was first introduced. What a busy bridge!
Image via Wikipedia
The Millau Bridge in southern France is the world’s tallest bridge that permits vehicles to cross. In fact this French bridge is actually taller than the Eiffel Tower. It spans the river Tam, suspended on enormous cables. Tourists flock to see this engineering marvel that extends over 8000 feet in length with a single span longer than 1,000 feet. Its maximum clearance is almost 900 feet. Enjoy the ride and spectacular views, but don’t get dizzy.
Of course the Golden Gate Bridge is probably the most popular bridge in the world. The Golden Gate Strait that flows between Marin County and San Francisco gave birth to this unique bridge’s name. It is still one of the longest suspension bridges in the world and is colored in the eye-catching orange color to help keep it visible in the heavy fog that often covers the bay. It too is one of the them most famous tourist attractions in the world.
