Tczew Bridge

Both Tczew bridges were built in the 19th century. The railway-road bridge was set in the years 1851-1857 and designed by Carl Lentze. In 1890, a railway bridge was added 40 meters to the north from the existing one. On the bridge used to ride, among others, Nord Express - one of the versions of the famous Orient Express. In 2004, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recognized the older Tczew bridge as the International Monument of Civil Engineering.

The cornerstone for the construction of the bridge was laid by King of Prussia, Frederick William IV. The bridge was 837 m long and back then it was the longest one in Europe. It had 10 towers (two on each pillar) and impressive entry gates. The portals of the gates, designed by Friedrich August Stüler, were decorated with bas-reliefs depicting, among others, conquest of Lithuania by the Teutonic Knights. Four historical towers have preserved to this day.

On the bridges in Tczew, the World War II began - Germans had attacked the bridges on September 1, 1939 at 4:34 (11 minutes before hitting Westerplatte). A few hours later, Polish sappers blew up both bridges. During the occupation, the Germans repaired the railway bridge and then blew it up during a retreat in 1945. After the war, in 1959, railway and car traffic has been brought back in Tczew.

In 2011, the road bridge was closed due to poor technical condition.