The Salginatobel Bridge

IF CONCRETE is your thing, this is a must see! The SALGINATOBEL BRIDGE, a few minutes’ drive from Schiers, is the only Swiss World Monument. Being on the list together with, perhaps better known by most people, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Statue of Liberty in New York! The bridge, completed and opened in August 1930, was declared a World Monument in 1991 by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Later on it was even voted to be the most beautiful bridge of the century! After all, it’s just a concrete bridge over a valley 😉 🙂 but when checking the facts, it hides some important details.

The Swiss engineer Robert Maillart designed the bridge and won the design competition with his invention of so-called concrete hollow box design (also because it was the cheapest in cost of construction!). This concept was later used in the construction of many concrete bridges. Among many hiking routes, one is named after the bridge and leads to a platform where the construction can be admired from below. As you can see we had to zig-zag between huge machines so you, our dear readers, can enjoy this fine landmark 🙂