A new suspension bridge has just opened in Switzerland that might give Indiana Jones himself sweaty palms. The world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge takes visitors through the scenic Bernese Alps, with the mighty Matterhorn mountain in the background to draw nervous eyes away from the valley floor below.
The Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge officially opened over the weekend and connects the Europaweg walking trail between the mountain towns of Grächen and Zermatt. It measures 494 m long (1,620 ft), which Zermatt Tourism says makes it the longest bridge of its type anywhere in the world.
It took just 10 weeks to build and stands 85 m (280 ft) above Switzerland's deepest cut valley at its highest point. At just 65 cm (26 in) wide, the bridge is single file, so those crossing will have no one to latch onto when anxiety strikes.
And strike it might, with Zermatt Tourism noting that due to the bridge's grated surface "it is possible to look into the precipice below one's feet."
According to Guinness World Records, the longest suspension bridge in the world is currently the Kokonoe Yume bridge, which stretches 390 m (1,279 ft) over the Kyusui Valley in Japan. So Switzerland's new hanging thoroughfare leaves hikers with 100-odd more meters of cabled walkway to sweat over, but hey, maybe the magnificent backdrop will help take their mind off things.
Source: Zermatt Tourism