March 10, 2026, 4:21 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
There are countless bridges worldwide—but which is the most beautiful? The magazine “Time Out” has decided and ranked the 19 most beautiful bridges in the world. The number one is in Europe. TRAVELBOOK presents it and shows the list of the 19 most beautiful bridges.
Bridges are more than just structures. Beyond their beautiful symbolic meanings like connection and overcoming obstacles, many bridges are also graceful, almost majestically appearing beauties of architecture. And not least, they are often witnesses to a turbulent and chaotic history. This is also true for the winner of the most beautiful bridges worldwide, which, after more than 400 years of existence, became a war target and was rebuilt as a symbol of reconciliation, earning it UNESCO World Heritage status. This is the most beautiful bridge in the world.
Stari Most Is the Most Beautiful Bridge in Europe and the World
The winning bridge of the “Time Out” ranking is called Stari Most, which translates to “old bridge,” and is located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. More precisely, it connects the two banks of the Neretva River in the old town of Mostar. The city, named after the bridge, developed here in the 15th and 16th centuries as an Ottoman frontier town. According to the magazine, Stari Most itself tells a “story of strength and struggle.”
Stari Most was built in the mid-16th century and established itself over time as a “symbol of connection between Muslim, Slavic-Orthodox, and Catholic cultures,” as stated by “Deutschlandfunk.” The shock was all the greater when the unique structure from the Ottoman era fell victim to the Bosnian War in 1993, after more than 400 years of existence. According to “Deutschlandfunk,” the war trauma is still visible there today, and the city of Mostar is slowly growing back together.
The Stari Most bridge now stands again. Between 2001 and 2004, it was rebuilt, along with many buildings in the also destroyed old town. According to UNESCO, “the area around the Old Bridge with its pre-Ottoman, East Ottoman, Mediterranean, and Western European architectural elements (…) is an outstanding example of a multicultural urban settlement.” The reconstructed Old Bridge and the old town of Mostar are “a symbol of reconciliation, international cooperation, and peaceful coexistence of different cultural, ethnic, and religious communities,” according to UNESCO. The United Nations organization added the old bridge district of Mostar to its list of World Heritage Sites in 2005.
The 19 Most Beautiful Bridges in the World
In addition to Stari Most, “Time Out” selected 18 other outstanding structures worldwide in its ranking. Among them are several well-known bridge beauties:
- Stari Most, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Umshiang Double-Decker Root Bridge, India
- Victoria Falls Bridge, Zimbabwe
- Golden Bridge, Vietnam
- Brooklyn Bridge, USA
- Allahverdi Khan Bridge or Si-o-se Pol, Iran
- Chapel Bridge, Switzerland
- The Twist, Norway
- Capilano Suspension Bridge, Canada
- Cirkelbroen, Denmark
- Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge, Brazil
- Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Hungary
- Mistico Park’s Hanging Bridges, Costa Rica
- Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australia
- Výton Bridge, Czech Republic
- Helix Bridge, Singapore
- New River Gorge Bridge, USA
- Q’iswachaka Suspension Bridge, Peru
- Xianren Bridge, China