Credit Engelberg Tourism
This month brought the opening of European’s highest suspension bridge–thought to be one of the most dazzling and terrifying experiences in the home of the Alps. We sent Courtney Crockett to test it out on opening day. Check out her experiences and learn about 10 other must-try bridge experiences.
As ecotourism continues to soar, experiencing untouched nature and wildlife have been added to the wish lists of many travelers. Suspension bridges are a leading source of this trend and have popped up around the globe, with more in the works. Allowing the flora and fauna to remain intact and undisturbed offers people more than a breathtaking view; it also allows them to interact. You can be right in the thick of the jungle, on a steep mountain face, or hovering hundreds of feet above a raging river, all from the safety of a bridge. In most cases, you don’t even have to hike to get there, but instead travel by cable cars, gondolas, or trams.
The end of 2012 brought an exciting feat in creative engineering: the opening of Europe’s new highest suspension bridge. The location? Engelberg, Switzerland, 3,400m above sea level atop the Titlis Glacier. The “Titlis Cliff Walk” was built in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the cableway area, also home to the world’s first rotating panoramic gondola. The alpine view from the bridge offers a view spanning 500m down, 80 percent of Switzerland, and Germany and Austria in the distance.
Check out the very snowy grand opening ceremony of the Cliff Walk, and the list of 11 other great suspension bridges around the world.
Titlis Mountain Glacier Suspension Bridge, Engelberg Switzerland
