Wooden bridge
Encyclopedia
A wooden bridge is a bridge
that uses wood
as a building medium. One of the first forms of bridges, the wooden bridge has been used since ancient times
, among them the Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden
crossing upper Lake Zürich
in Switzerland. The prehistoric timber piles discovered to the west of the Seedamm
date back to 1523 BC. The first wooden footbridge led across Lake Zürich
, followed by several reconstructions at least until late 2nd century AD. when the Roman Empire
built a 6 metres (19.7 ft) wide wooden bridge. Between 1358 and 1360, Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria
, built a 'new' wooden bridge across the lake that has been used to 1878 – measuring approximately 1450 metres (4,757.2 ft) in length and 4 metres (13.1 ft) wide. On April 6, 2001, the reconstructed wooden footbridge was opened, being the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland. The Kapellbrücke
is a 204 metres (669.3 ft) long bridge crossing the Reuss River
in the city of Lucerne
in Switzerland. It is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe, and one of Switzerland's main tourist attractions.
In ancient times, people mostly used trees, (letting them fall over the river so they could walk over it)
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
that uses wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
as a building medium. One of the first forms of bridges, the wooden bridge has been used since ancient times
Ancient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
, among them the Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden
Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden
Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden is a wooden pedestrian bridge between the city of Rapperswil and the village of Hurden crossing the upper Lake Zürich in Switzerland. The prehistoric timber piles discovered to the west of the Seedamm date back to 1523 BC...
crossing upper Lake Zürich
Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. It is also known as Lake Zürich and Lake of Zürich. It lies approximately at co-ordinates ....
in Switzerland. The prehistoric timber piles discovered to the west of the Seedamm
Seedamm
Seedamm is the partially artificial dam and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden and Rapperswil .- Geography and location :...
date back to 1523 BC. The first wooden footbridge led across Lake Zürich
Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. It is also known as Lake Zürich and Lake of Zürich. It lies approximately at co-ordinates ....
, followed by several reconstructions at least until late 2nd century AD. when the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
built a 6 metres (19.7 ft) wide wooden bridge. Between 1358 and 1360, Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria
Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria
Rudolf IV der Stifter was a scion of the House of Habsburg and Duke of Austria and Duke of Styria and Carinthia from 1358, as well as Count of Tyrol from 1363 and first Duke of Carniola from 1364 until his death...
, built a 'new' wooden bridge across the lake that has been used to 1878 – measuring approximately 1450 metres (4,757.2 ft) in length and 4 metres (13.1 ft) wide. On April 6, 2001, the reconstructed wooden footbridge was opened, being the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland. The Kapellbrücke
Kapellbrücke
The Chapel Bridge is a covered wooden footbridge spanning diagonally across the Reuss River in the city of Lucerne in central Switzerland. Named after the nearby St. Peter's Chapel, the bridge is unique since it contains a number of interior paintings dating back to the 17th century, although many...
is a 204 metres (669.3 ft) long bridge crossing the Reuss River
Reuss River
The Reuss is a river in Switzerland. With a length of and a drainage basin of , it is the fourth largest river in Switzerland...
in the city of Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
in Switzerland. It is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe, and one of Switzerland's main tourist attractions.
In ancient times, people mostly used trees, (letting them fall over the river so they could walk over it)