The highest suspension bridge in Europe is now open. Stretching between two small towns in the Umbria region of Italy, the Sellano suspension bridge soars nearly 600 feet above the ground below.
Crossing the Bridge
The Sellano bridge connects two small towns, Sellano and Montesanto, over a ravine. It stretches a half of a mile and takes visitors about 45 minutes to walk the 1,000 steps. To cross the bridge, visitors must be at least 4 feet tall, wear suitable shoes, a helmet, and a harness.
For an added adrenaline rush, the Sellano bridge was built with discontinuous tread, meaning the steps are not next to each other; there is a gap between each tread. And it travels uphill. You’ll gain 223 feet in altitude!
The bridge is only open to one-way traffic, from Sellano to Montesanto. Once you finish crossing, you will drop your equipment with employees, then you’re free to wander around the medieval town of Montesanto.
To get back to Sellano, tourists can choose to hike a scenic trail that goes down into the Vigi River. There are two lakes there where tourists can relax, fish, or grab food at a place called Loch Ness. Once you’re done exploring, it’s another 20-minute walk up to Sellano. Eventually, there will be a shuttle guests can take back to Sellano, but it’s not yet operational.
The bridge opened in late March 2024 and welcomes 90 visitors each hour. Reservations are required and are currently open for the next few weeks.
Revitalization Efforts
Sellano’s mayor Attilio Gubbiotti told local newspaper Corriere della Sera the new bridge will hopefully draw tourists to the area to “revitalize the area and stave off depopulation.” Both towns were deeply affected by a large earthquake in 2016.
The magnitude 6.2 quake hit a small town about an hour from Sellano killing nearly 300 people and causing significant damage in the area. The earthquake and its 2,500 aftershocks completely destroyed some villages, with locals still not being able to return to their homes years later.
Other small Italian towns have been struggling to rebuild and revitalize. Sellano’s mayor hopes this new tourist attraction will bring life and business back to this beautiful area of Italy. “The goal? Relaunching the area affected by the 2016 earthquake by proposing new attractions and less contaminated places,” explains Gubbiotti.
Bridge Cost
It cost about 1.5 million Euros to complete the bridge, a significant investment into rebuilding these towns. “The bridge is a virtuous example of investment to revitalize this territory also on the tourist front,” said the Umbrian Regional Councilor for Tourism, Paola Agabiti. “This community, despite having been put to the test since the 2016 earthquake, has shown a great attachment to the territory and citizens and businesses have continued to live and invest in the place where they were born and reside, showing strong resilience.”
Other Notable Bridges
If traveling to Italy isn’t feasible right now, but you still want to see a suspension bridge, there are plenty to see in the United States. The highest one in the US is the Royal Gorge Bridge outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. At 956 feet above the Arkansas River, the bridge is also in the top ten for highest suspension bridge in the world! The Royal Gorge area is also known for its whitewater rafting and hiking.
The longest suspension bridge in the United States is the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge connecting Staten Island to Brooklyn in New York. It’s 4,260 feet long! Coming in a close second at 4,200 feet is the famed Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The longest suspension bridge in the world goes to the Canakkale Bridge in Turkey, spanning a whopping 6.637 feet long!
Looking for an adrenaline rush? Visit the SkyBridge in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. At 1,800 feet above sea level, it’s the longest pedestrian cable bridge in the US. And in the middle of the bridge is 30 feet of pure glass, where you can look down, if you’re brave enough! My family walked this bridge and I’m scared of heights, but I forced myself to look through the glass and it was truly a unique experience!