Climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge was one of my all-time favourite travel experiences. But you don't need to go all the way to Australia for an exhilarating bridge climb. Müngsten Bridge, Germany's highest railway bridge, delivers a similar mix of adrenaline and industrial heritage in Solingen — an easy day trip from Düsseldorf or Cologne.
I spent the May bank holiday weekend visiting my friend in Solingen, a small city in western Germany. There isn't a huge amount to do in downtown Solingen and with trains to nearby Cologne not running, we decided to spend the weekend exploring a few nearby attractions instead.
Müngsten Bridge: A 129-year-old icon!
The most thrilling of these is, without doubt, the Müngsten Bridge climb. Built in 1897, the bridge is 465 metres long and 107 metres high. It's made from 5,000 tons of iron and steel, with nearly 1 million rivets. An icon of the industrial age, it's Germany's answer to the Eiffel Tower (yes, really).
The bridge is a few miles east of central Solingen in a beautiful riverside park. It's particularly lovely in spring when the forest is at its most verdant or in autumn when the leaves are turning hues of red and gold. There are lots of hiking trails to explore if you still have energy after the bridge climb.
Originally named Kaiser-Wilhelm-Brücke, in honour of Emperor Wilhelm I, the bridge was later renamed after the nearby town of Müngsten (which no longer exists). It spans the River Wuppertal, providing a rail connection between Solingen and Remscheid.
The Brückensteig walkway experience
The Brückensteig (bridge walkway) opened in 2021 and several tours run per day at the weekend, as well as less frequent trips during the week. You'll need to book a ticket online (€79 per adult) as they don't take walk-ins.
Tours are usually in German but many guides speak English. It's worth emailing ahead to check that there will be an English-speaking guide for the tour you want to take.
I was the only Anglophone in my group of 12 but my friend, who works there part time and was leading our group, did a great job of translating all of the safety instructions for me. She'd also given me a recap of the bridge's history during our drive to the site.
Preparing to climb
We parked in the car park and walked five minutes along the river to Haus Müngsten, where there's a restaurant as well as Brückenstein office and tour centre.
After checking in, I stowed all my belongings in a locker. You'll need to remove jewellery and watches, tie back long hair and secure your glasses. You can take your phone onto the bridge if you use one of the €3 safety cases, and the guides take photos throughout the tour, which you can access afterwards.
We collected helmets, walkie talkies and harnesses, got kitted out and headed into the woodland for a short training course to get used to the harness safety system. There's a knack to manoeuvring the carabiner around the metal cords, but I'd got the hang of it by the end of the practice course.
A view from the (Müngsten) Bridge
It was a short walk to the entrance to the bridge walkway. Once inside, we lined up ready to clip on to the safety system. As the only non-German speaker, I was at the front so our guide could easily relay instructions to me in English after communicating with the rest of the group over our walkie talkies.
And then we were off! It was a warm, sunny day and I was glad I'd left my cardigan at basecamp. There were a lot of steps — they're steepest at the start and end. We stopped from time to time to take in the stunning views over the Wupper while our guide told us about the bridge's history.
Before long, we reached the halfway point, where there's a platform 100 metres above the river. There, we had the option to walk across a narrow beam to the other side of the bridge — harnessed in, of course. I'm fine with heights, but those first couple of steps still felt surprisingly nerve-wracking.
While waiting for the others to cross the beam, I took some photos of the beautiful view from Müngsten Bridge. Once everyone was safely across, we took a group photo, legs dangling over the 100-metre drop!
We then climbed back down via the other arch, finishing, as we started, on the Solingen side of the river. A few S7 trains passed overhead while we were climbing but the walkway is very stable and I barely felt a thing.
Finally, we made our way back to Haus Müngsten to hand back our equipment and pick up our belongings. I had such a great time doing the climb and if you enjoy unique outdoor activities with a physical element and fantastic views, you probably will too!
Müngsten Bridge Climb — Need to Know
How do I get to Müngsten Bridge?
Müngsten Bridge is a few miles' drive east of central Solingen. You can also take a very short S7 train ride from either Solingen Hauptbahnhof or Solingen-Mitte to Solingen Schaberg. From there, it's about 20 minutes' walk to the bridge.
If you're travelling from Düsseldorf, it's a one-hour train journey. Take the S1 train from the central station to Solingen Hauptbahnhof, then transfer onto the S7 to Solingen Schaberg.
How long does the Müngsten Bridge climb take?
The Müngsten Bridge climb experience, from safety briefing to return, takes about 2.5 hours in total, depending on the size and speed of your group. You'll be on the bridge itself for about an hour of that.
Do I need to book?
Yes, you need to book online in advance. Note too that the car park gets very busy at weekends and in the summer, so make sure you allow time to find a space.
How much does the tour cost?
€79 for adults and €69 for concessions.
Can I take a tour in English?
The tours are run primarily in German, although many guides speak some English. If you don't speak German, I'd recommend contacting the Brückensteig team before booking to check the best tour times for non-German-speakers.
Is the Müngsten Bridge climb worth it?
I had a fantastic experience! The combination of the physical challenge, the thrill of glimpsing way, way down to the river far below and the incredible views of the river and surrounding countryside made for a very enjoyable afternoon.
Safety is paramount at Müngsten Bridge and the guides do a great job of making sure that everyone stays safe and has a good time.
Given all this, €79 feels like great value for a unique and fun 2.5-hour experience, especially because it also includes access to a large set of digital photos, as well as a printed photo of the group at the top.
What else is there to do at Brücken Park?
Of course, if heights aren't your thing or you experience vertigo, the bridge climb may not be for you. But there's lots to do in the surrounding Brücken Park, from the various nature trails to crazy golf. If you've got the muscle power, you can cross the river via the much lower human-powered transporter bridge!
Solingen is known as the 'city of blades' and you can learn more about the city's history of metalwork and sword- and knife-making at the small smithy by the river, close to Haus Müngsten. I was a week too early for the Knife Solingen trade show, but as I was travelling hand-luggage only, perhaps that's for the best!
Planning a trip to Germany? Check out my guides to Berlin and Cologne.
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