Mittlere Brücke

Mittlere Brücke (Middle Bridge) connects Greater Basel and Lesser Basel (Grossbasel and Kleinbasel) across the Rhine. The first bridge on this site was opened in 1226, and basel.com lists it as one of the oldest crossings of the Rhine between Lake Constance and the North Sea. Initially used for local traffic, it became an important route for international trade in the 14th century, linked to the road over the St Gotthard Pass. The old bridge was replaced by a new one in 1905, when electric trams arrived in the city. Standing on the bridge is the Käppelijoch, a replica of the original bridge chapel, which served as the site of executions in the Middle Ages.