Pont de Wagram

The Pont de Wagram is a stone bridge built in the early 19th century over the Vinxtbach near its mouth into the Rhine. It stands at the southern entrance to Bad Breisig in the Ahrweiler district of Rhineland-Palatinate. The bridge replaced a wooden structure destroyed by floods in 1806. French engineers widened the road and straightened the Vinxtbach’s course to improve traffic flow. The project cost nearly 39,000 francs and was carried out by contractor Henri Fluchard from Belgium. The bridge was officially opened on 6 July 1813, two years after completion, and named to mark the fourth anniversary of Napoleon’s victory at Wagram. Local records show two men from Niederbreisig fought in that battle: Johannes Zander and Philipp Keiffenheim, who later died during Napoleon’s retreat from Russia. The bridge served traffic for over 140 years before a newer road bridge took over in the 1950s. Today the restored Pont de Wagram still carries local traffic between Bad Breisig and Brohl. It sits beside the Rhine Cycle Route (EuroVelo 15), offering a quiet crossing into the Vinxtbachtal. The stone arches and historic name remain as reminders of the Napoleonic era.