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The world’s longest suspension bridge connects two towns in the Swiss Alps

The Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge links the towns of Zermatt and Grächen

By Lauren Ro
A narrow metal suspension bridge spans two sides of a valley with snowy alps in the background.
The bridge spans 1,620 feet and rises as high as 279 feet.
Photos courtesy of Switzerland Tourism

The longest suspension bridge in the world is now open to pedestrians wishing to traverse the valley between the towns of Zermatt and Grächen in the Swiss Alps.

Completed in just 10 weeks by Swissrope, the hikers’ bridge spans a record-breaking 494 meters (approximately 1,620 feet) and rises as high as 85 meters (about 279 feet) above the valley floor, with a width of just 65 centimeters, or about 2 feet—which means that adventurers must walk single-file.

The Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge, named after the bridge’s primary sponsor, replaces an older link near the town of Randa, where the popular two-day hiking trail Europaweg offers stunning panoramic views of the Matterhorn, Weisshorn and the Bernese Alps.

Although the new bridge may not be the scariest bridge to open recently—that honor would go to this glass bridge in China—it would certainly be thrilling to make what would normally be a three to four-hour journey across the valley in only 10 minutes. Have a look, if you dare.