Your Visit

Müngstener Brücke is considered one of the icons of the industrial age, a landmark of the region and a popular destination for excursions to this day. It has been painted and photographed countless times and sent as postcards with greetings from the Bergisches Land.

At its feet lies the Brückenpark Müngsten, a landscape park in the midst of deep forests and protected nature. Wide grassy meadows with shady groups of trees invite visitors to picnic and play. From meadows, beaches and viewing balconies above the water, there are always new views of the giant of steel. Haus Müngsten (café, bistro, restaurant) at the entrance to the park fits perfectly into the landscape with its facade of weatherproof structural steel. The suspension ferry takes you from the bridge park to the other bank of the Wupper by muscle power.

In the wooded surroundings, numerous paths invite you to hike and walk. Again and again there are impressive views to the bridge.

BRIDGE WALKWAY

777 steps lead upwards, along the gigantic bridge arch. The destination: a platform at a height of one hundred meters, just below the highest point of the 107-meter-high Müngsten Bridge. From there, a breathtaking view opens up into the valley, to the Wupper, and over the heights: Since 2021, a bridge walkway opens up Germany's highest railroad bridge impressively and completely new. You walk in a group, with helmet and harness, led by a guide.

It took around ten years from the initial idea to the first ascent. Many questions had to be answered: Is the project compatible with nature conservation in the sensitive area of the Wupper River and the surrounding forests of the Wupper Mountains? Are there any objections on the grounds of historic preservation? Does a bridge walkway fit in with the possible world heritage site? How is it technically feasible?

After detailed examination and in close coordination with Deutsche Bahn, the Bergisches Städtedreieck and the World Heritage experts, it was clear: Yes, the project can start. An existing maintenance track, which is secured by a guide rail anyway, will be used. It was therefore not necessary to intervene structurally in the bridge monument. After Deutsche Bahn had completed the extensive refurbishment of the Müngstener Brücke, the path was now literally clear.

www.brueckensteig.de

TWO STELES IN THE BRIDGE PARK

Brand new are two concrete steles in the bridge park, near Haus Müngsten. Each stele has a plaque providing information on a special topic.

On the way to becoming a World Heritage Site: The "Welterbe Müngstener Brücke" development association presents the community of "European arch bridges of the late 19th century".

The Müngstener Brücke: The association "Ingenieur Baukunst e.V." gives explanations about the architectural work of art Müngstener Brücke. It is the first panel of a polylocal Ingenieur Baukunst museum. The idea: The museum comes to the real exhibition object. Usually, the opposite is the case. For the association, this is a logical idea: the art of engineering can ultimately only really be experienced on site and on a scale of 1:1. And a replica of the Müngsten Bridge with a height of 107 meters and a span of 17o meters would certainly not fit into any museum building...

www.ingenieur-baukunst.de

FURTHER INFORMATIVE LINKS

City of Solingen: Excursion destinations and hiking tips, including Müngstener Brücke and Brückenpark.
www.solingen.de/marketing/inhalt/muengstener-bruecke-und-brueckenpark-muengsten/
Tourism region Remscheid, Solingen, Wuppertal
https://www.bergisch-mal-drei.de/