The World of Bridges

One of the most impressive steel bridges in the world can be found in Calcutta: the Howrah Bridge. Its predecessor is the Forth Bridge across the Firth of Forth, near the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. We accompany priests, photographers, police officers and athletes in their lives on and around these bridges in Scotland and India.

As far back as Roman times, bridge pillars were made of stone with a top structure of wood. Such wooden and stone buildings can be found in the Chinese province of Guangxi and in Ticino, Italy. We visit China's most famous Wind and Rain Bridge and the Ponte dei Salti in the Verzasca Valley that literally dates back to the Roman era.

Bridges have always been a fulcrum for the world’s major trade routes. The Nordkasteel Bridge – the second largest bridge in Europe – does more than transport goods and people within the port area while the Krämerbrücke is the longest bridge in Europe to feature buildings across its entire structure.

Bridges that soar over broad valleys demand special talents from their designers and engineers. The Millau Viaduct in the south of France is one of the highest bridge structures in the world while the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, which stands high over the River Dee in north-east Wales, was built in the 19th century.

The Great Seto Bridge in Japan and the Victoria Falls Bridge in Zimbabwe have more than one thing in common: they were build on dreams and are the only train connections between two regions.