The Trift Bridge (Triftbrucke in German) is considered the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the Alps. Built in the adventurous Bernese Oberland Mountains in Switzerland, it has a simple suspension bridge design which spans 170 meters at a height of 100 meters. The bridge stretches above the Triftsee Lake, near Gadmen, Switzerland, in a popular area for mountaineering that receives more than 20,000 visitors per year to see the Trift Glacier.
[adsenseyu2]
Some years ago, the Trift Hut of the Swiss Alpine Club was reachable by foot via the glacier tongue, but things became different once the climate started to change. As the glacier was no longer high enough to pass the gap, the power company that worked there had to build a bridge in 2004.
The first Trift Bridge was then modeled after the classical Nepalese three-rope bridges. In a short period of time it became a main attraction for mountain lovers. Due to its basic functions and the large number of visitors that came here every year, it was replaced in 2009 with a safer and more accessible pedestrian bridge.
How to access Trift Bridge
In order to access it, you have to get to Meiringen Town, at the cable car station situated on the road between Innerkirchen and the Susten Pass. There you will find numbered tickets (one ticket costs 12 CHF/11 euros) for the cable car system. The cable cars can carry up to eight people and the trip is popular, so you might have to wait in line.
The journey starts at a station on the road that runs between Innerkirchen and the Susten Pass. Once at the upper station, prepare for a serious hike! A descent on 180 steps will get you on the trail to Trift Bridge. The path is uphill and sometimes demanding, and lasts about one hour and a half to reach the bridge.
The best time to visit the Trift Glacier and the bridge is between June and the mid October.
