It may seem like I am developing a thing for suspension bridges…and maybe I am! This one we just happened on by complete accident and it was certainly a happy one!
Driving home from our weekend skiing in Austria I noticed some castle ruins up on the hill and pointed them out. We had no plans on stopping because honestly they looked cool from afar but there wasn’t anything else too unique about them. However, as we kept getting closer we eventually ended up driving under a long suspension bridge – Highline 179 – that connected right to the ruins! I knew we couldn’t miss an opportunity to check it out so we made quick u-turn and followed the signs to Ehrenburg Ruins and Hungebrucke!
There is a visitor center at the base of the mountain that we stopped in to buy tickets for the bridge. Then it was a 15 min hike up a moderately steep but well maintained paved path to the castle and end of the bridge. They have electronic gates that you scan your ticket for entrance into and video cameras to help maintain the beauty of the bridge, which I appreciate.
Unlike Geierlay, Highline 179 is all metal, no wood. On a day like we were there, where everything was covered in snow, the metal seemed to fit in perfectly. In fact, the panoramic views were completely stunning. In December 2014, the bridge earned a spot in the Guiness Book of Records as “Longest Tibet-style footbridge” – although now it has been surpassed by one in China and the worlds longest in Switzerland.
The base of the bridge is a grate so you can see through it, which is a bit unnerving if you let yourself dwell on it. Highland 179 also seemed to sway a bit more than Geierlay but that could also be because it is 1332 feet long (200 ft longer than Geierlay). We brought the pups up there with us and Lola was not a fan of it swaying so she got a little ride halfway across.
The other side of the bridge offered a perfect view of the bridge and the castle. If it wasn’t so chilly, we could have hiked around this side of the bridge as well, which is the location of Fort Claudia, the ruins of a strategic fortress dating back to the 1600s. We chose to opt out of that and instead made our way back across the bridge. The pups were much more comfortable on the way back and loved playing in the snow on the way back to the car.
We just lucked out passing the bridge on the way home from Solden, and while I am not sure it is worthy of its own trip, there are a few other popular tourist locations nearby. Highland 179 is 30 min from Neuschwanstein, 35 min from Zugspitze, and 45 min from Garmisch!
Which bridge did you like better? Geierlay or Highline 179?
Xx
Kali