St Servatius Bridge (Sint Servaasbrug)
MaastrichtThis is the oldest bridge in the Netherlands that is still standing; however, Maastricht once had a bridge that was built even before 1289 AD.
This is the oldest bridge in the Netherlands that is still standing; however, Maastricht once had a bridge that was built even before 1289 AD. South of St Servatius Bridge, on the eastern river bank, stands a pillar indicating where a Roman bridge previously was. St Servatius Bridge replaced that Roman bridge and has since been redesigned, renovated, bombed, detonated, and rebuilt. Even so, it remains the same at its core!
A wooden arch on the eastern side of the Meuse was demolished in wartime, after which the stone replacement was blown up. Ultimately, steel parts of the bridge were detonated in 1940 and 1944.
The current steel section of the bridge is a vertical-lift bridge that can accommodate large inland vessels. As this process is controlled remotely, the bridge keeper's house (tower) has been renovated to house artwork.