Stone Bridge (Steinerne Brücke), Regensburg, Germany

The Stone Bridge marching across the Danube on its heavy piers, photographed from the riverside quay in 2026. It was built in only about eleven years, probably between 1135 and 1146, and has 16 arches. For its time this was a startling achievement on one of Europe's most powerful rivers, and it became a model for later stone bridges, including the Judith Bridge in Prague that came before the Charles Bridge. The massive piers on their protective islands are the secret of its survival. After a long restoration with stone matched from a nearby quarry, it now carries only people on foot and bicycles. Look for the little Bruckmandl statue at the highest point of the deck.