The Tumski Bridge (, , , ), , is a steel bridge over the northern branch of the

Oder The Oder ( ; Czech and ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and its largest tributary the Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows through wes ...

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

. Constructed in 1889, it replaced an old wooden bridge to connect the Cathedral Island with the Sand Island. The bridge is open to

pedestrian A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, by wheelchair or with other mobility aids. Streets and roads often have a designated footpath for pedestrian traffic, called the '' sidewalk'' in North American English, the ''pavement'' in British En ...

s only. Informally known as the ''Bridge of Lovers'' or the ''Bridge of Love'', couples in love once pinned padlocks with their names on it.

History

The bridge was built in 1889. In 1976, the bridge was entered in the register of historical monuments. Since 2009, couples would attach padlocks to the Tumski Bridge as a symbol of their love. The keys to these padlocks were then thrown into the Oder. Due to the extensive renovation of the bridge and the need to avoid adding additional weight to the bridge, this practice was prohibited. In 2019, the bridge was renovated. Prior to the renovation, thousands of padlocks were removed, weighing several tons in total. Any new padlocks that are added to the bridge are regularly removed by city services.

References

External links

* Bridges in Wrocław Tourist attractions in Wrocław Pedestrian bridges in Poland Steel bridges in Poland Bridges completed in 1889 Bridges over the Oder {{authority control