Date

Circa 1910

A covered wooden footbridge spanning diagonally across the Reuss River. Named after the nearby St. Peter's Chapel, the bridge is unique since it contains a number of interior paintings (some by Hans Heinrich Wägmann) dating back to the 17th century, although many of them were destroyed along with most of the centuries old bridge in a 1993 fire. Subsequently restored, the Kapellbrücke is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe, as well as the world's oldest surviving truss bridge. Lucerne is unique in the fact that its three wooden pedestrian bridges, the 14th century Hofbrücke (now destroyed) and Kapellbrücke and the Spreuerbrücke, all featured painted interior triangular frames. The Kapellbrücke complex includes the octagonal 140 m (460 ft) tall Wasserturm (water tower), which predated the bridge by about 30 years.