The Swiss Alps are some of the most beautiful mountains in the world, and a new suspension bridge lets you see it like never before.
The Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge, located near the village of Randa, is officially the largest of its kind. The bridge spans a mind-boggling 494 meters (1,620 feet), connecting Grächen and Zermatt on the Europaweg trail. If you have a problem with heights, don’t look down! At its highest point, the bridge is 100 meters above the ground.
The Europaweg is a two-day mountain trail that connects the towns of Zermatt and Grächen. Previously, hikers had to take a lengthy detour after another, similar bridge suffered damage from falling rocks.
But the new steel suspension bridge is finally open to the public, letting people cut across between the two towns quite a bit faster. But locals warn that this bridge is not for the faint of heart.
“The thrill of traversing the precipice is indescribable,” Zermatt Tourism said in a press release. The views from the bridge are absolutely stunning. The massive, 14,783 foot Weisshorn mountain is in full view as you cross. The bridge took just 10 weeks to erect from start to finish. It takes about 10 minutes to cross, which is far shorter than the four hours needed to take the detour.
