Gerner Brücke

The Gerner Bridge is an iron-and-reinforced-concrete arch bridge that spans the Nymphenburg Palace Canal in Munich. It links Gerner Street in the Gern district with Renata Street in Neuhausen. From its crown, visitors can look straight along the canal toward the Hubertus Fountain at the eastern end, while the view west to Nymphenburg Palace is cut off by the Ludwig-Ferdinand Bridge a kilometre and a half away. The bridge was built in 1897, two years after the Ludwig-Ferdinand Bridge, when the city’s growth forced planners to add crossings over the canal laid out by Elector Charles Albert between 1728 and 1730. Its modern reinforced-concrete arch was dressed with neo-Baroque curves and railings to match the royal setting. After a 1927 rebuild and a 1994 refurbishment, the bridge was placed under official protection. Today the 29-metre-long, 10-metre-wide structure carries no vehicles, though it can still support 24-tonne loads. Its single arch of steel and concrete spans 16 metres across the water. The canal banks on either side are lined with plane trees and quiet paths, giving walkers a calm spot to pause beside the gently curving bridge.