The world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge just opened in the Czech Republic, daring visitors to walk for nearly half a mile (0.80 km) at 300 feet above the ground. By Alison Fox
The world’s longest pedestrian bridge
The Sky Bridge 721, which opened last week and sits about a 3-hour drive from Prague, stretches for 721 metres (about 2,365 feet) and hangs 95 metres (about 311 feet) above the valley below. Visitors walk along the narrow, breathtaking bridge, crossing from one mountain ridge to another, supported by six main ropes and 60 wind ropes.
In total, the bridge took two years to complete.
“Sky Bridge 721 is not just a structure. It is a bridge that conveys the ‘idea of time,'” according to the attraction’s website. “Crossing the bridge over the majestic valley of the Mlýnský Stream gives all visitors a unique opportunity to learn about the local countryside and history through an educational trail called ‘The Bridge of Time.'”
To get to the bridge itself, visitors can either take a chairlift to the entrance or choose to walk or bike the nearly 2.5-mile (4.02 km) trail. Tickets for the bridge must be purchased online in advance.
In addition to the gravity-defying heights, the bridge will feature an interactive game integrating the area’s history from 1938 to 2021. The game will include a video narrated by a 16-year-old boy as well as an interactive display, which can be viewed through an app on smartphones.
The entire experience takes about an hour and a half to complete and cross the bridge.
The new bridge replaces the 516 Arouca Bridge in Portugal as the previous longest suspension bridge in the world, according to the Visit Czech Republic. That bridge clocked in at about 1,693 feet.
Before the bridge in Portugal opened, the Kokonoe Yume Bridge in Japan held the Guinness World Record for the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world at 1,280 feet, according to The Associated Press, while the Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge in Switzerland challenged that at 1,621 feet.
(This story first appeared on www.travelandleisure.com)
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