Nibelungenbrücke Worms

The Nibelungenbrücke spans the Rhine between Worms in Rhineland-Palatinate and the Hessian towns of Lampertheim and Bürstadt. It carries the B 47, which here follows the Nibelungen and Siegfried streets, and is the only road bridge between Mannheim to the south and Mainz to the north. The older of the two parallel crossings is named after the Nibelung saga and includes the Nibelungenturm, a local landmark. The bridge’s origins lie in a ferry first recorded in 858, when Ludwig the German confirmed shipping rights for Lorsch Abbey. A permanent ship-bridge was built in 1855, followed by the Ernst-Ludwig-Brücke in 1900. The latter was destroyed in 1945 and rebuilt as the ‘old’ Nibelungenbrücke between 1951 and 1953. Rising traffic led to a second, ‘new’ bridge in 2008, and both now carry two lanes each, with shared foot and cycle paths. On the Worms side the bridge meets the B 9 and overlooks the city centre, the riverside promenade with cafés, a small park and the Hagendenkmal. Just south lies the Floßhafen, while under the western approach the harbour railway passes. On the eastern bank the Maulbeeraue recreation area stretches along the river, bordered by an old Rhine arm. The twin bridges link the B 47 to the Hessian Ried and offer long views upriver toward Mannheim and down toward Mainz.