Saint-Marcel Bridge over the Canal de Midi in Le Somail, Aude (France)

"lI have passed through the Canal from it’s entrance into the mediterranean at Cette to this place, and shall be immediately at Toulouse, in the whole 200 American miles, by water; having employed in examining all it’s details nine days, one of which was spent in making a tour of 40 miles on horseback, among the Montagnes noires, to see the manner in which water has been collected to supply the canal"

Thomas Jefferson

about his visit to Canal du Midi

Illustration of Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Causeway between Bahrain Island and Muharraq Island (Bahrain)

Bahrain 's margin of freedom is growing day after day as we head into the future with steady steps.

Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa,

to whom this bridge owes its name

Bankovsky Most (Bank Bridge) over the Griboedov Canal in Saint Petersburg (Russia)

 Old St Petersburg remains a beautiful stage set but to the Russians it is not what Rome is to the Italians or Paris to the French. The decisions are made in the Kremlin. The city of Peter remains a museum, open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Joseph Wechsberg

Augustus Bridge over the Elbe River in Dresden, Saxony (Germany)

The morning breeze is off and gone

The winding factory streets are clean

Old ladies put the kettle on

And all-night lechers pause and lean

On grey shop windows, everywhere

A deeper hum is in the air

Hotel room, drifter leaves no clues

...

The salmon Season's here to stay

And etched into each shoulder-bone

The mark of Cain is on display

As stone above each measured stone

Old Dresden burns above the breeze

The traveller, he's on his knees

He's watching sledge-wings dip and play

So far above the holy throne

Dresden blues...

Lyrics of Dresden

by Cold Chisel

Ducha Footbridge over the Motlawa River in Gdansk, Pomerania (Poland)

The names of the rivers remain with you.
How endless those rivers seem!
Your fields lie fallow,
The city towers are not as they were.
You stand at the threshold mute.

Ending of poem Forget

Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz

Bridges of the Bouillon Castle in Bouillon sur Semois, Wallonia (Belgium)

In one of the walls of the castle, there is a seat carved out of the rock. A powerful seat that promises wedlock to anyone who sits on it.

Legend of Bouillon Castle

Pont de la Corniche over the the Doubs River at Dole, Jura (France)

"We could have done it a little further by going to Choisey where there was less of a slope, but I think that would have been less of a problem for the town and we wanted to stay within the municipal territory. 100 meters from the current bridge, for example, there is the Château de Crissey and we would then have had to start thinking about it at the inter-municipal level."

Gilbert Barbier, major of Dole

Bridge over the Orlice River in Pastviny (Czech Republic)

There were three brothers named Czech, Lech and Rus. One day, they decided to find for their tribes and themselves a new place to live, and so they all set out for a long journey across the Europe. After some days had passed, the brother Rus suddenly said. "This is the new home for me and my tribe!" and so they stayed and founded Russia. The two brothers and their tribes walked for many days, when they climbed up a hill. They had a wonderful view of the land that Czech called the "land of milk and honey", and decided to settle here with his tribe. To honor this great man, the people of his tribe started to call themselves Czechs.

Legend

Valentré Bridge over the river Lot in Cahors, Lot (France)

The builder was not happy with the slow pace at which they were constructing the bridge. So he made a pact with the devil who promised to expedite the work in exchange for the builder’s soul. But as the contract was finishing and it was time to forfeit his soul as payment, the builder asked the devil to bring water for his workers… using a sieve, which proved impossible. For trying to deceive him, the devil sent an imp to loosen a stone in the central tower every night so the bridge would never be finished.

Legend of Pont Valentré

Mánes Bridge and others over the Vltava River in Prague (Czech Republic)

The glistening scrolls and spirals, the elaborate setting that looked as if it were cut out of gold paper, so touching in its resemblance to the creches made for children at Christmas, the grandiose and grotesque baroque perspectives affected Mersault as a kind of infantile, feverish, and overblown romanticism by which men protect themselves against their own demons.

Albert Camus about Prague

Krk Bridge between Krk Island and mainland (Croatia)

In Krk Island at night, the forests are said to be full of strange beings: laughing forest dwarfs called Malyći, dancing fairies in white dresses who flew on winged horses, and storm sorcerers who floated through the skies. The Malyć is a curious figure, somewhere between a dwarf and an elf, similar to the red-hatted Nordic gnomes or the famous Irish leprechauns. Capturing a Malyć is said to bring great fortune, and in some stories, even sudden wealth.

Legends

François le Chevalier Footbridge over the Bassin du Comerce in Le Havre, Seine Maritime (France)

 
“Le Havre-de-Grâce lay cornered by the Atlantic and the river Seine. A humble city, low and flat, and unremarkable save for its cathedral; its minaret overlooked the port like an artificial moon scaffolded into the sky.”

From the book Fiddler's Green

by A.S. Peterson

Bridge over the Luostojoki River near Karesuando, Lapland (Sweden)

Bro bro breja
Stockar och stenar
Alla goda renar!
Ingen slipper här fram, här fram,
Innan han säger sin kärastes namn.
Vad heter hon?

Broad bridge, bridge,

Stocks and stones

All good roadsides!

No one will be allowed to pass by, pass by

Before saying his dearest's name.

What is her name?

Children swedish song

Photomontage with a bridge over a canal in Amsterdam (Netherlands)

“The word “whale” was almost always synonymous with monster and interchangeable with giant."

Mark Leiren-Young

Granatilla Viaduct near Carboneras, Almería (Spain)

 ¿Desierto? ¿Naranjos? ¿Flores?
¿Playas con cuerpos desnudos?
¿Qué es lo que provoca amores,
y nos deja, al verte, mudos?
¡Ay, tus playas de levante,
entre Mojácar y Vera,
son como un hermoso cante
que alcanza hasta Carboneras!
Desde tu bella Alcazaba
se contempla la bahía,
llena de sol y alegría.
Y, abajo, mi enamorada,
la bellísima Almería,
¡La rosa de Andalucía!

Poem from Antonio Pardal

Stambolov Bridge spanning the Yantra River in Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgaria)

Yantra, Yantra,
the sunset is burning,
fireworks shine in you...

Yantra, Yantra,
stop for a while, stop
and remind again your ancient hill,
bring in the night a quiet bell ringing.

Eternal, like love, you remain!..

Lyrics from Yantra

by singer Pasha Hristova

Bridge over the Wenatchee River in Leavenworth, Washington (United States)

What wind blew me here?
Oh, Wenatchee
But we won’t shed no tear
Oh, Wenatchee
What wind blew me here?
Oh, Wenatchee
But we won’t shed no tear
There’s nothin’ really wrong with Wenatchee
I just don’t like workin’ so it’s down to me
So goodbye, so long Wenatchee
I’ll see you next year
When I need money

Lyrics of Wenatchee

by Seasick Steve

Viaduct over the Ruhr River between Herdecke and Hagen Vorhalle, North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany)

"The Ruhr region. Anyone who wants to get to know a magnificent region will find rich satisfaction here; for everything that can adorn a serene landscape can be found here, all within a few hours' drive: a lovely valley crowned by serene mountains, knights' castles and ruins, fertile fields and fragrant meadows, and, at the same time, flourishing industry and trade."

J.F. Wilhelmi, 1828

Pont Vieux (Old Bridge) over the river Orbieu in Lagrasse, Aude (France)

L'autre hier, cheminant le long du vieux sentierJe parvins au cours d'eau qui fuit vers la savane
Le soleil déclinait, et l'horizon altier
Alignait les sapins comme une caravane

Évoquant le passé, je fis halte au vieux pont
Au vieux pont biscornu, plein de ronce et de mousse
Couché sur le ruisseau limpide et peu profond
Que brouillèrent les pas de mon enfance douce

From the song Le vieux pont

by Mes Auieux

Princes Bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne (Australia)

When I die put me in a barra
Wheel me down to the banks of the Yarra
Dig a hole both deep and narra
Bury me by my brown Yarra
Now people change, they’ll let you down
They’ll hurt you too, that’s what I’ve found
And though that river flows like mud
In my heart and soul it flows like blood
Or drop me off of Princes Bridge
Strapped inside a broken fridge
Drop me down in the murky drink
And let me lie where I sink
...

Lyrics from My Brown Yarra

Frank Jones

Dlugi Bridge (Long Bridge) crossing the Oder river in Szczecin, West Pomerania (Poland)

Back to my native place, I'll return
To comfort my bitterness by a distant glee.
When green dusk will enter my window pane
I shall hang myself on my sleeve.

Poem by Konstanty I. Galczyinsky, poet from Szczecin

Wuhan First Yangtze Bridge over the Yangtze River in Wuhan, Hubei (China)

I often come here, the Hanyang Gate,

When I’m in deep despair
Having nowhere else to go
There're usually many people gathered
Under the bridge to watch the scene
Now as before, the big river flows east
The sound of the waves resonates in me
But few people can hear it

From the poem Spring Comes to Hangyang Gate

by Zhang Zhihao

Chains Bridge over the Danube River in Budapest (Hungary)

 
“O Danúbio, pensei, era o Danúbio mas não era azul, era amarelo, a cidade toda era amarela, os telhados, o asfalto, os parques, engraçado isso, uma cidade amarela, eu pensava que Budapeste fosse cinzenta, mas Budapeste era amarela.”

Chico Buarque

Ponte dell'Accademia crossing the Grand Canal of Venice (Italy)

O Venezia che sei la più bella
e tu di Mantova che sei la più forte
gira l'acqua intorno alle porte
sarà difficile poterti pigliar.

E quel giorno, entrando in Venezia
vedevo il sangue scorreva per terra
i feriti sul campo di guerra
e tutto il popolo gridava pietà.

Lyrics of O Venezia,

by Giovanna Daffini

Covered Bridge in the Winsord County, Vermont (United States)

 With what a glory comes and goes the year!The buds of spring, those beautiful harbingers
Of sunny skies and cloudless times, enjoy
Life’s newness, and earth’s garniture spread out;
And when the silver habit of the clouds
Comes down upon the autumn sun, and with
A sober gladness the old year takes up
His bright inheritance of golden fruits,
A pomp and pageant fill the splendid scene.

In the poem Autumn

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow