Short history of the Kapellbrücke in Lucerne, Switzerland

If Grey’s Anatomy’s Derek Shepherd has a thing for ferry boats, I have a thing for bridges. I think bridges are beautiful. Some of my favourites are the Brooklyn Bridge (New York, USA), Dunvegan Bridge (Alberta, Canada), and Tower Bridge (London, UK).

Today, however, we are going to be learning more about the Kapellbrücke in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The Kapellbrücke or the Chapel Bridge is Europe’s oldest wooden-covered bridge. It is 204.6 metres (670 feet) long. The bridge was actually named after St. Peter’s Chapel.

Pro tip: When walking on the bridge, be sure to look up!

The bridge was built in 1332. Paintings which date back to 1611 can be found under the bridge’s roof. Personally, I find the paintings creepy as it shows skeletal figures. Sadly, most of the paintings were destroyed by a fire that broke out on Aug. 18, 1993. It was reported that two-thirds of the bridge were destroyed. The good news, however, is that the bridge was completely restored the next year. Still, only about 25 out of the 110 paintings under the roof survived.

chapel bridge

Today, the Kapellbrücke is considered as one of Lucerne’s main attraction including the River Reuss which flows underneath the Chapel Bridge.

river reuss 2Have you been to the Kapellbrücke? What did you think of it? Let us know at the comment section below! 🙂

Tags: bridge, chapel bridge, jusz travel, Kapellbrücke, lucerne, luzern, swiss bridge, switzerland

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Comments

  1. A covered bridge – I don’t think I ever saw one! Glad it’s in Europe, I can hop on a plane and get to see it, lovely view from there too!

  2. I’ve never been here, but it’s an exact replica of a bridge near Bassano del Grappa in northern Italy! These covered bridges are iconic, and so photogenic too! I’ll remember this for next time.

  3. Oh i remember walking on that bridge it’s been so long. I didn’t know the history though!

    • Medha
    • November 26, 2017

    I loved this bridge in Lucerne, especially at night! It lights up beautifully and if you sit in one of the lakeside cafes overlooking the bridge, it is an amazing experience!

  4. Looks interesting .. My fav bridge so far is Sydney harbor bridge in Sydney but would luv to experience this someday..
    Especially when I have never walked across any wooden bridge .. Thanks for all the pro tip

    • amit
    • November 27, 2017

    I would love to walk across this bridge, I can imagine how the paintings must have been creepy but I think I would still look up haha. I actually would have moved to Switzerland a few years ago if I stuck to my ‘career’ job and not decided to continue traveling but I still need to visit at some point 😀
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