As we drove around Thurnersee on Seestrasse (see earlier posts here and here), at Gunten, we turned uphill and climbed to Sigriswil which is located at 810 m (2660 feet).
We came to see the Sigriswil panoramic bridge (Panoramabrücke Sigriswil) that traverses the 182 m deep Gummischlucht gorge through which the stream Guntenbach runs into the lake.
Suspension bridge is a technical marvel and, aesthetically expressive of the design principle that – form follows function. It is always exciting to see a skinny suspension bridge mounted at a perilous location connecting two land masses, which makes a dramatic setting.
View from Sigriswil side of the bridge
It took 6 months to build this steel 340 meter-long pedestrian-only bridge which opened in 2012.
The modern steel bridge is a high tech structure but we found this one in a bucolic, pastoral environment where there were farm animals grazing and frolicking at its base.
We left our car at a parking area near the village’s main bus stop. Although we drove here, you do not need a car to visit Sigriswil. As one would expect from a public transport network in Europe, there is a bus (No. 25) that runs between Thun railway station and Sigriswil. See the schedule.
A fee of 8 swiss francs is collected at the Sigriswil side of the bridge. We and other tourists went back and forth, and lingered on the bridge. We suspected that this fee is levied against tourists only.
The bridge did bounce a little bit as people marched back and forth but it was not scary to walk across it … not even if you stop in the middle and look down at the gorge, unless you suffer from vertigo.
On the other side of Thurnersee is Spiez where we were staying, see earlier post here.
The bridge offers views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, and the surrounding mountain peaks.
Looking to the other side of the bridge, away from the lake … on a plateau are scattered farm houses and manicured Alpine pastures.
another K-drama location
Like Iseltwald (see earlier post here), the bridge was featured in the very popular Korean TV series “Crash Landing on You.” The K-drama is based on two lovers from the opposing sides of North and South Korea who kept up a romance by meeting in various scenic spots in Switzerland.
Apparently, these locations have become such popular places with fans of the TV show and tourists that they show up in Google map labelled as “Crash Landing On You filming location.”
The Panoramic Bridge between the villages – Sigriswil and Aeschlen is one of a total of three suspension bridges on the Lake Thun Panoramic Circular Trail. The popular 56 km long circular hike connects various mountain and shoreline paths around Thunersee.
Crossing the bridge from Aeschlen back to Sigrswil … and then back to the car.
The Sigriswil Panorama Bridge was the work of a Swiss company, Seiler AG. You can find some photos of the bridge taken during its construction here.
One response to “Sigriswil Panorama Bridge, Switzerland”
Great post! The link to contruction pictures is not working.