When a pedestrian bridge stretched between two mountains has a bluntly worded warning for people who are afraid of heights, you know the trek won’t be fun for the faint of heart.
“We do not recommend entry for people who are afraid of heights with accompanying feelings of dizziness, shaking of the head, feelings of fainting, and inability to move,” the Dolní Morava vacation resort, where the bridge is located, cautions in a statement.
Here’s why the bridge in the Czech Republic will appeal to thrill seekers — and why the warning is necessary. The nearly 0.5-mile-long bridge, which opened last week, is expected to formally be declared the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge.
What’s more, the bridge offers beautiful views of the surrounding valley, and the valley floor 300 feet below.
“Get ready for a unique moment,” the resort explains. “It will take some courage to cross the bridge, but we guarantee a unique experience that you will never forget.”
A Unique Experience
The world’s current longest pedestrian suspension bridge is the Baglung Parbat Footbridge, a 567-meter (1,860 feet) bridge that crosses the Kali Gandaki River in Nepal, according to Guinness World Records. But that title is about to change hands.
Sky Bridge 721 is aptly named because it stretches 721 meters (about 2,365 feet) between two mountains in the Jeseníky mountains. That span means it’s also longer than the 516 Arouca Bridge, a 516-meter (1,693 feet) bridge that opened in Arouca, Portugal, last year.
Sky Bridge 721, near the Czech border with Poland, features six main supporting ropes and 60 other ropes of various diameters. Each of the main ropes can support 360 tons.
What It’s Like To Cross The Bridge
The resort bills Sky Bridge 721 as “a unique journey between the heaven and the earth.”
Austrian blogger Victoria Fellner can attest to that description. She told CNN that stepping out onto the bridge gave her a “queasy feeling.” That feeling soon passed, however.
“I was afraid that the suspension bridge would shake a lot, but it wasn’t that bad,” Fellner said, according to CNN. “The view is really impressive, and you can even see the forest below through the trellis! Luckily I’m not afraid of heights.”
What You Need To Know
If you just added crossing Sky Bridge 721 to your bucket list, here’s what you need to know so you can plan your trip.
First, the resort is about a 3-hour drive from Prague.
Also, Dolní Morava recommends using its chairlift to approach the bridge, however, you can also walk or even ride a bike to the bridge. Keep in mind, though, that the approach to the bridge’s entrance follows a 2.5-mile trail with a staggering elevation gain of 1,207 feet.
Finally, there’s more to the attraction than simply physically crossing the bridge — as if that weren’t enough.
“Sky Bridge 721 is not just a structure. It is a bridge that conveys the ‘idea of time,’” the resort explains. “Crossing the bridge over the majestic valley of the Mlýnský Stream gives all visitors a unique opportunity to learn about the local countryside and history through an educational trail called ‘The Bridge of Time.’ It includes a unique game that features elements of augmented reality [played with a smartphone].”
Finally, if Sky Bridge 721 isn’t quite hair-raising enough for you, you can also visit Bach Long (White Dragon) Bridge in Vietnam. The bridge, about 124 miles from Hanoi, is the world’s longest pedestrian glass bridge at 632 meters (2,073 feet) long. And since it has a glass bottom, visitors can look straight down at the valley floor 490 feet below.
You can learn more about that bridge in World’s Longest Glass Bridge Now Open In Vietnam, See The Pictures Here.