Skywalk Willingen: Longest Suspension Bridge in Germany Open

(eap) Just in time before the start of the summer vacations in the state of Hesse, Germany, the Skywalk Willingen will be opened today. The new tourist attraction in the municipality known primarily for winter sports has now been completed after five years of planning. After the location was initially planned in the neighboring municipality of Diemelsee, planning was shifted to Willingen in spring 2018, so that the construction phase of the bridge could begin in January 2022 (cp. EAP news 20 Dec 2021 and 31 Aug 2022).

With a length of 665 meters and a weight of 170 tons, the new visitor attraction, built by the company Swissrope, is offering up to 750 visitors at a time an impressive view over the Strycktal and the Mühlenkopfschanze (ski jump) located there. The Willingen Skywalk is now said to be the longest suspension bridge in Germany – replacing the 458-meter-long “Titan RT” in the Harz Mountains (see EAP 4/2022). According to the operators, the Skywalk is also the world’s longest suspension bridge built in the so-called Tibet style – that is, without high-rise components or supports and anchor cables. The longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world is currently the “Sky Bridge 721”, which delights visitors in the Czech Republic with a length of 721 meters – stabilized by anchor cables.

For safety reasons, no bicycles, strollers, pets or wheelchairs are allowed on the 1.30-meter-wide bridge in the Sauerland region, which hovers 99 meters above the valley floor. However, operators are planning “one-way evenings” to make the bridge, which is regularly accessible from both sides, accessible to wheelchair users.

Half of the investment sum of over 4.5 million euros was raised by a project company consisting of private individuals, gastronomes, hoteliers and other entrepreneurs, while the other half was provided by the three local banks.

“Of the approximately 350,000 overnight guests per year, one in three will explore the Willingen Skywalk,” estimates Arndt Brüne, who is a member of the investor group. In total, the operators and investors expect around 100,000 visitors per year through visits from overnight and day guests. ■