The World’s Oldest Bridges Still in Use
Think about the last time you crossed a bridge. Maybe it was a sleek highway overpass or a small wooden footbridge over a creek.
Now imagine walking across a bridge that people used thousands of years ago, and it’s still standing strong today. These ancient structures have survived wars, earthquakes, floods, and the simple wearing down of time, yet they continue to carry people across rivers and valleys just like they did centuries ago.
So let’s look at some of these incredible old bridges that refuse to retire. They’re scattered across different continents, built by various civilizations, and each one has its own story to tell.
Arkadiko Bridge
Greece holds one of the oldest bridges that people still walk across today, built sometime around 1300 BC during the Bronze Age. The Arkadiko Bridge sits on the Peloponnese peninsula and was part of a military road system connecting major cities in the Mycenaean kingdom.
It’s a simple corbel arch bridge, which means the stones stick out a little more as they go up until they meet in the middle. The bridge is only about 72 feet long and 12 feet wide, but it’s been doing its job for over 3,000 years without much fuss.
Zhaozhou Bridge
China’s Zhaozhou Bridge has been standing since 605 AD, making it the oldest open-spandrel stone arch bridge in the world. A stonemason named Li Chun designed this bridge during the Sui Dynasty, and his engineering was so advanced that Western bridge builders wouldn’t use similar techniques for another 800 years.
The bridge spans about 167 feet across the Xiao River in Hebei Province, and its open spandrels (the small arches on either side) reduce weight and allow floodwater to pass through more easily. Today, it still carries pedestrian traffic and has survived at least eight wars, ten major floods, and multiple earthquakes.
Fabricius Bridge
Rome’s oldest bridge, the Fabricius Bridge, has been connecting the east bank of the Tiber River to Tiber Island since 62 BC. The Romans built this bridge during the Republic era, and they were so proud of it that they carved the builder’s name right into the stone.
Two stone arches hold up the 203-foot-long structure, and it’s still used by thousands of pedestrians and cyclists every day. The bridge has its original stonework, which is pretty remarkable considering how many times Rome has been invaded, flooded, and rebuilt over the centuries.
Alcántara Bridge
Spain’s Alcántara Bridge crosses the Tagus River near the Portuguese border and has been standing since 106 AD. The Romans built this massive structure during Emperor Trajan’s reign, and it rises nearly 200 feet above the river at its highest point.
The bridge stretches about 630 feet long with six granite arches, and Roman engineers didn’t use any mortar to hold the stones together. Cars and trucks still use it today, though there’s a weight limit to protect the ancient stonework from modern traffic demands.
Ponte Sant’Angelo
Another Roman bridge that refuses to quit is the Ponte Sant’Angelo in Rome, originally called the Pons Aelius when Emperor Hadrian built it in 134 AD. This bridge leads directly to Hadrian’s Mausoleum, which is now known as Castel Sant’Angelo.
Three of the original five arches are still the ancient Roman construction, while the outer two were replaced during later centuries. Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini added ten angel statues in the 1600s, which is how the bridge got its current name, and it remains one of Rome’s most photographed pedestrian bridges.
Pons Cestius
Rome really knew how to build bridges that last, and the Pons Cestius is another example from around 46 BC. This bridge connects Tiber Island to the west bank of the river, working as a partner to the Fabricius Bridge on the other side of the island.
The bridge has been rebuilt and restored several times over the centuries, but it still follows the original Roman design and uses some of the original stonework. Pedestrians cross it daily without thinking much about the fact that Julius Caesar was still alive when construction started.
Caravan Bridge
Iran’s Caravan Bridge in Izeh dates back to around 300 AD during the Sasanian Empire. This ancient stone bridge has three arches and spans about 180 feet across the river.
Local people and their animals have used this bridge for nearly 2,000 years, and it’s built so well that it barely shows its age. The bridge sits along what used to be a major trade route, which is why it’s sometimes called the Caravan Bridge, since merchants and their caravans would cross it while traveling between cities.
Trajan’s Bridge at Alconetar
Spain has another Roman bridge remnant near Garrovillas de Alconétar that dates to 106-103 BC under Emperor Trajan’s rule. The original bridge had 20 arches and stretched across the Tagus River, though only a few arches survive today after centuries of floods and modifications.
The standing arches are now on dry land after a modern dam changed the river’s course, but they show just how solid Roman engineering was. People can still walk around the remaining structure, which gives a good sense of how impressive the full bridge must have been.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Northern Ireland’s Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge has existed in some form for over 350 years, though the current version gets rebuilt regularly for safety. Fishermen first strung up a rope bridge here around 1670 to reach a small island where they caught salmon.
The bridge sways about 100 feet above the rocks and ocean below, spanning roughly 65 feet between the mainland and the island. Today it’s a tourist attraction that gives people a thrill, but local fishermen used to cross it daily carrying their catch without safety harnesses or railings.
Kapellbrücke
Switzerland’s Chapel Bridge in Lucerne was built in 1365 and is the oldest covered wooden bridge in Europe. The bridge stretches diagonally across the Reuss River for about 670 feet and originally served as part of the city’s fortifications.
Inside the covered walkway, there are over 100 paintings from the 17th century depicting local history and patron saints. A devastating fire in 1993 destroyed much of the bridge, but the city rebuilt it within a year using the original techniques and surviving materials, so it still counts as one of the oldest continuously used bridges.
Khaju Bridge
Iran’s Khaju Bridge in Isfahan was built around 1650 during the Safavid Dynasty under Shah Abbas II. This isn’t just a bridge but a multipurpose structure with pavilions, archways, and a dam system underneath.
The two-level bridge spans about 430 feet and has 23 arches, with rooms built into the structure where people can sit and socialize. Locals still use it as a gathering place, and the bridge helps regulate water flow in the Zayandeh River, so it’s both functional and beautiful.
Si-o-se-pol Bridge
Isfahan has another historic bridge called Si-o-se-pol, which means ’33 Bridge’ because it has 33 arches. Built between 1599 and 1602, this bridge is one of the most famous examples of Safavid bridge design.
It stretches nearly 1,000 feet across the Zayandeh River and is about 46 feet wide, making it one of the longest bridges on multiple arches in Iran. People walk across it daily, and at night the lighting makes it even more impressive, turning it into a popular meeting spot for locals and visitors.
Ponte Vecchio
Florence’s Ponte Vecchio has been standing since 1345, though there were earlier bridges at this spot that kept getting washed away by floods. This bridge is famous for the shops built along both sides, which were originally butcher shops but now house jewelers and art dealers.
The Vasari Corridor runs along the top of the shops, a private covered walkway that the Medici family used to cross the river without mingling with common people. The bridge survived World War II because retreating German forces apparently found it too beautiful to destroy, unlike all the other bridges in Florence they blew up.
Rialto Bridge
Venice’s Rialto Bridge crosses the Grand Canal and has been the most important bridge in the city since its completion in 1591. Before this stone version, there were wooden bridges here that kept collapsing or burning down, so the city finally invested in something permanent.
The single stone arch spans about 92 feet and includes shops along both sides, making it not just a way across but a destination itself. Tourists crowd onto it constantly for photos, but Venetians still use it as their main crossing point in the Rialto district.
Stari Most
Bosnia’s Stari Most bridge in Mostar stood from 1566 until 1993, when it was destroyed during the Bosnian War. The bridge was rebuilt between 2001 and 2004 using original techniques and materials recovered from the river, making it essentially the same bridge.
The Ottoman architect Mimar Hayruddin designed the original single arch that spans about 100 feet across the Neretva River. Young men from Mostar have a tradition of diving off the bridge into the cold river below, a practice that continues today and attracts crowds of spectators.
Charles Bridge
Starting in 1357, work on Prague’s Charles Bridge unfolded slowly during the rule of King Charles IV, finishing much later in 1402. After floods swept away its predecessor, the king insisted on creating a structure built to endure time itself.
Stretching roughly 1,700 feet, it stands supported by sixteen stone arches, each helping hold up the path across the water. Over many years, thirty dramatic baroque sculptures found their places along both sides, arriving mostly between the late 1600s and early 1700s.
For nearly four hundred forty years, this span served as the single crossing point above the Vltava River within the city. Even now, people walk its full length daily, drawn simply by being there.
Shahrestan Bridge
Older than most remember, Iran’s Shahrestan Bridge near Isfahan could be the nation’s longest-standing crossing still serving people today. Some sections may reach into the Sasanian era, between the 3rd and 7th centuries AD.
Though changed often through time, its foundation and certain ancient blocks have stayed untouched. Along an old path once walked by merchants moving toward the east, it holds steady in purpose.
Thirteen arches – each different in width – stretch over the Zayandeh River. Even now, occasional footfall and minor vehicles pass above.
Still Standing Strong
What stands on stone today once held chariots and traders without complaint. Long before steel took shape, people shaped mountains of rock into paths above rushing water.
One step at a time, those crossings carried lives forward – farmers, messengers, wanderers with nowhere urgent. Time passes, yet some still walk where ancestors paused to look downstream.
Materials change, but feet remember what machines forget. Not everything built then was meant to last – some simply did.
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