World’s Longest Pedestrian Bridge Is Now Open (Gulp!)
If you have a problem with heights, you might not like this. The world’s longest pedestrian bridge has opened in Portugal…and it’s frightening.
According to CNN, the bridge is 516 meters (1,692 feet) long and is located in the town of Arouca, an hour south of the city of Porto. It connects Aguieiras Waterfall and Paiva Gorge with the River Paiva flows 176 meters (576 feet) below and is the latest adventure offering in the Arouca Geopark, known for its extreme sports.
Steel cables hold up the bridge with two huge V-shaped towers on each end. The pathway is a three-foot-wide open metal grid with railings made of rigid netting. If you want to get across quickly, you can do it in about four minutes. For those that want to take in the sights, the bridge trip will take about 10 minutes.
In a statement about the bridge, Arouca Geopark states, “This bridge aims at targeting the interest of different types of people: engineering lovers, nature connoisseurs, people who are fond of extreme experiences.” Here’s some footage of what the experience looks like:
The longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the U.S. is the SkyBridge in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, but it’s only 680 feet long. Still, it offers stunning views of the Great Smoky Mountains. If you want to ease into this sort of thing, the Mile High Swinging Bridge at North Carolina’s Grandfather Mountain is a good place to start. Just don’t go on a windy day.
