The world's most terrifying bridges! From the ancient paths made of ropes and plants to modern marvels at terrifying heights.
#11 Da Nang Golden Bridge
Though comfortably secured in a massive pair of stone hands, the Golden Bridge just outside Da Nang, Vietnam, is still a stomach churning path to walk. The 490-foot-bridge is part of the Ba Na Hills resort and acts as an incredibly vibrant overlook. It towers over the Ba Na Hills with an elevation of almost 4,600 feet above sea level. Luckily, the integrity of the structure is safe with the aged appearance of the bridge being added for effect since the Golden Bridge was built in 2018.
#10 Trift Suspension Bridge
Draping between two peaks within the Swiss Alps is a simple suspension bridge that’s been around for nearly ten years now. The bridge is situated in proximity to the region’s Trift Glacier and surrounding Triftsee lake, a major attraction of the Alps that attracts around twenty thousand tourists annually. Prior to the bridge’s construction, this glacier was used by visitors to access the Trift Hut, a cabin waypoint for hikers and mountaineers under the supervision of the Swiss Alpine Club. But as the glacier has melted, it was no longer at a height capable of traversing and a need for the bridge was born. The first bridge was erected in 2004, but a sturdier replacement would come just five years later and continues to be in service to the day. To reach the bridge, one must take a cable car from Meiringen, then catch a gondola ride. From there, a ninety minute hike will bring you to this narrow, nerve-rattling walkway.
#9 Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Just off the northeastern coast of Northern Island is the small island known as Carrickarede. Locals have been constructing bridges to reach this rock for centuries, and with each new suspended path comes a new upgrade. Originally, the bridges to this island served the simple purpose of granting access to local salmon fishermen who would use the island as an optimal casting point. But as time went on, the salmon of this region would dry up, making the jump from 300 salmon caught per day in the 1960s to 300 caught per season in 2002. Still, the island has remained a popular tourist stop thanks to the natural beauty of Carrickarede. For many decades, the bridge was simply a single handrail with large gaps between the planks, making for a terrifying path at 98 feet above the rocky coast, but it has since been rebuilt multiple times, now with a wire rope and Douglas fir slats. It’s still a fairly scary walk though, especially in inclement weather, and of the hundreds of thousands of visitors, many must be boated off the island when faced with the task of crossing the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge a second time.
