Hohenzollern Bridge and the Rhine
On Gingerguide's self-guided Cologne audio tour, Hohenzollern Bridge and the Rhine is a stop worth about ~30 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type bridge
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Cologne Cologne guide
About Hohenzollern Bridge and the Rhine
The great railway bridge beside the cathedral, Germany's busiest, whose fences carry hundreds of thousands of lovers' padlocks weighing many tonnes.
The Hohenzollern Bridge sweeps across the Rhine directly beside the cathedral, and it is one of the busiest railway bridges in the world, well over a thousand trains cross it every day. The present steel arched bridge was built between 1907 and 1911, replacing an earlier crossing, and was rebuilt after German troops blew it up in 1945 to slow the Allied advance. Its great equestrian statues of Prussian kings and German emperors still guard the approaches. Since the late 2000s the bridge's pedestrian-and-cycle fences have become one of the most famous "love lock" sites in the world: couples attach an engraved padlock and throw the key into the Rhine. There are now hundreds of thousands of them, and their combined weight runs to many tonnes, so far the railway authority has chosen to let the romantic tradition continue.
Did you know? The Hohenzollern Bridge is one of the world's busiest railway bridges, with well over a thousand train crossings every day.
How much time do you need at Hohenzollern Bridge and the Rhine?
Around ~30 min works well for Hohenzollern Bridge and the Rhine — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Hohenzollern Bridge and the Rhine?
Yes — Hohenzollern Bridge and the Rhine made the cut as one of 8 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Cologne. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Cologne
Hear the story of Hohenzollern Bridge and the Rhine
Preview the Cologne tour free in the Gingerguide app.