The covered wooden bridge in Lucerne, Switzerland, is Chapel Bridge, or Kapellbrücke, the oldest surviving truss bridge in the world.
The bridge was originally built around 1365 as part of Lucerne's defensive fortifications. It crosses the Reuss River diagonally, linking the old town on the river's right bank with the newer part of the city. The nearby Wasserturm, a distinctive octagonal tower, predates the bridge by roughly 30 years and has served as a prison, treasury, archive, and torture chamber.
Chapel Bridge is especially famous for the triangular paintings beneath its roof. Most were created in the 17th century by Hans Heinrich Wägmann and depict scenes from Lucerne's history and the lives of its patron saints. A devastating fire on 18 August 1993 destroyed much of the bridge and many paintings, but the structure was reconstructed and reopened on 14 April 1994.
“Chapel Bridge” refers to the Lucerne landmark, while Ponte Vecchio, Rialto Bridge, and Charles Bridge are different historic bridges in Italy and Prague. The bridge's current length is about 205 meters, shorter than its original length because of later changes to the riverbanks.