Bormannsgrundbrucke over the Malter Dam in Dippoldiswalde, Saxony (Germany)

"Swimming is now permitted again in the Malter Dam in the Eastern Ore Mountains. The town of Dippoldiswalde, which is responsible for the reservoir, announced that the reservoir has "very good water quality." This was confirmed by water samples taken by the health department of the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains district. The tests revealed no indications of a risk of microbial contamination at the swimming areas, it said."

MDR News on 24 july 2024

Carl Theodor Bridge over the Neckar River in Heidelberg (Germany)

"It is impossible for me to forget your beautiful country where I have learned so much. My stay in Heidelberg is nothing now but a beautiful dream. How I’d wish I could repeat it!"

Allama Iqbal, Indian philosopher

Pierre Pflimlin Bridge over the Rhine River between Strasbourg (France) and Kehl (Germany)

"La France et l'Allemagne sont essentiellement l'Europe. L'Allemagne est le coeur ; la France est la tête."

Victor Hugo

Viaduct over the Ruhr River in Hardecke, North Rhine - Westphalia (Germany)

Wohl fand ich der Reize mehr nirgend schier

Und Becher- und Sangesgetöne,

Doch immer zog es zurück mich nach dir,

Mein Ruhrtal, mein einziges schöne.

Nowhere else did I find the charms
and sounds of cups and songs,
but I was always drawn back to you,
My Ruhr valley, my only beautiful one.

Extracted from Pfingsten im Ruhrtal

by Heinrich Kampchen

Dom Luis Bridge over the Douro River in Porto (Portugal) painted by Julio Costa

Next to the Douro River lived long time ago a giant, always amused by playing dice. One night the giant dreamed that a man dressed in white, with a white beard, appeared to him and asked him to go down to the mouth of the river to build several churches there. "When you wake up take your dice throw them from the highest hill." Where the dice fall, churches must be built. The numbers on their faces will represent the number of blue and white tiles with which they will be decorated. So now, where they fell, are today the churches and monasteries of the city of Porto.

Legend of Porto

Tjörn Bridge over the Askero Fjord between Tjörn Island and Stenungsund (Sweden)

Strange fishes glide in the depths,
unfamiliar flowers glow on the shore;
I have seen red and yellow and all the other colours,
but the gaudy gay sea is the most dangerous to look upon,
it makes one thirsty and wide-awake for waiting adventures:
what happened in the fairy-tale will happen also to me!

Stranger Sea

poem by Edith Södergran

Bridges over a canal in the Albufera, Valencia (Spain)

Valencia de fecundas primaveras,
de floridas almunias y arrozales,
feliz quiero cantarte, como eras,
domando a un ancho río en tus canales,
al dios marino con tus albuferas,
al centauro de amor con tus rosales

Antonio Machado

Vizcaya Bridge over the Nervión river between Getxo and Portugalete, Bizkaia (Spain)

No hay en el mundo

puente colgante

más elegante

que el de Bilbao

Porque lo han hecho

los bilbainitos

que son muy finos

y muy salaos

Folk song

Coronado Bridge over Coronado Bay in San Diego, California (United States)

"The center span of the Coronado bridge was engineered to float in the event of collapse, allowing Naval ships to push the debris and clear the bay. There are "air pockets in the concrete" so it would break up into buoyant pieces if it collapsed and not block the navy ships in the bay"

Legend about Coronado Bridge

Pont Neuf over the Seine River in Paris (France)

It's a rainy night in Paris,
And the harbour lights are low,
He must leave his love in Paris,
Before the winter snow;

On a lonely street in Paris,
He held her close to say,
"We'll meet again in Paris,
When there are flowers on the Champs-Elysees..." "How long" she said "How long,
And will your love be strong,
When you're across the sea, Will your heart remember me?

Lyrics from A Rainy night in Paris

Chris de Burgh

Skeppsholmbron joining Skeppsholmen with Blasieholmen in Stockholm (Sweden)

When the town Sigtuna was destroyed by the Estonians, the citizens hid their things of great value in a hollow log and threw it in lake Mälaren. The log (called stock in Swedish) floated ashore at the island (holm) in question, and the homeless Sigtuna citizens thought this was the perfect place to settle down.

Legend about the founding of Stockholm