Brücke von Oberzeiring

The bridge at Oberzeiring spans the Blabach in the village of Oberzeiring, twenty kilometres north-west of Judenburg in the Austrian province of Styria. It is a single stone arch built of masonry, traditionally called the ‘Roman bridge’ though its exact age is unknown. The structure has been protected as a historic monument for many decades. Historians believe the bridge may date from the Roman period, yet no firm evidence confirms this. Before the Romans, the area around Oberzeiring was already settled by earlier peoples. A major Roman road known as the Via Norica once passed close to the settlement at Unterzeiring, a nearby hamlet. Some writers once claimed Unterzeiring was the Roman place called Viscella, but that identification is now considered unlikely. Visitors reach the bridge by following quiet lanes through rolling farmland. The stone arch rises gracefully over the narrow Blabach, its weathered masonry showing the marks of centuries. A small parking area beside the road allows easy access for those who wish to stop and look. The surrounding countryside is peaceful, with meadows and wooded slopes stretching away on either side.