Which Swiss footbridge, built in 1333, is Europe’s oldest covered wooden bridge?

Chapel Bridge, built in 1333, is Europe’s oldest covered wooden bridge.

Known in German as Kapellbrücke, it crosses the Reuss River diagonally in central Lucerne. The medieval bridge formed part of the city’s defensive system and takes its English name from the nearby St Peter’s Chapel.

A series of triangular 17th-century paintings hangs beneath the roof. The images depict scenes from Lucerne’s history and the lives of the city’s patron saints, giving the bridge an unusual artistic as well as military legacy.

A devastating fire in 1993 destroyed much of the bridge and most of its paintings. The structure was reconstructed soon afterward, although many original artworks were lost. The nearby Spreuer Bridge is also covered and wooden, but it was built later.