Historic bridges of Finland

A bridge is a road that stayed behind

When a new road is built, the old one is left behind. That's exactly why Finland's old bridges have survived: a stone bridge on a post road was bypassed when the highway was straightened, and it still stands over the river, carrying no traffic at all. This map brings together the bridges that are attractions in their own right – dry-laid stone arches, the first concrete bridges, suspension bridges on hiking trails, and bridges that give an entire town its classic photograph.

Stone bridges on the post roads

In the 1700s and 1800s, Finland's main roads – the Great Coastal Road, the Häme Ox Road, the Ostrobothnian Coastal Road – crossed rivers on stone arch bridges. They were laid from wedge-shaped stones without mortar: the arch holds together under its own weight, and a dry-laid structure withstands frost heave better than a mortared joint. A well-built arch stands for centuries. The stone bridges at Rudo in Laihia and Luhtaanmäki in Vantaa are examples; many others now serve as museum bridges or carry pedestrian and cycle traffic.

Concrete's early decades

In the early 1900s, reinforced concrete replaced stone. The Äijälänsalmi bridge in Jyväskylä (1932) is one of the country's oldest cast-in-place reinforced-concrete bridges: 86 metres of arch and beam between Lake Jyväsjärvi and Lake Päijänne. It is now protected and used by pedestrians. In many municipalities, a similar bridge from the 1920s–30s has been preserved alongside its replacement.

Suspension bridges and viewpoints

On hiking trails in Lapland and Kainuu, rivers are crossed on suspension bridges that sway underfoot. They make the map because they are often a trail's only crossing point, and an experience in their own right. In towns, an old bridge is often a viewpoint: Porvoo's Old Bridge is where the red riverside storehouses are photographed, and in Jyväskylä, Äijälänsalmi offers a view over Lake Päijänne.

Before you go

• Stone bridges often carry a weight limit and a narrow roadway. Museum bridges are not for driving.
• Suspension bridges are for pedestrians, usually a few people at a time. Don't make them sway.
• Don't go under an old bridge when the current is running; the spring flood can raise the water to the level of the arch.
• The best time to photograph is morning, when the water is calm and the arch reflects in it.