10 AMAZING CONNECTIONS TO BEAUTIFUL PLACES

Bridges and tunnels are great connectors -- connecting both places and people. They also connect experiences. We’ve curated some of the most beautiful place and people connectors. Take a look. And have a visit!

1. HENDERSON WAVES BRIDGE

No, the walk on this bridge isn’t as wavy as it looks. What makes the Henderson Waves Bridge in Singapore unique is its stunning wave-like structure made up of seven undulating curved steel ribs that alternately go above and below its deck.

The deck is formed from thousands of yellow balau wood slats. The “waves” provide shelter and seats, offering a cool place to sit, relax, and enjoy a great outdoor experience. You can also walk through the top of the forests and check out exotic flora and fauna. And, you can catch panoramic views of the city, harbor and the Southern Islands.

At night, the bridge is lit by LEDs to showcase its beauty.

The Henderson Waves Bridge connects Mount Faber Park to Telok Blangah Hill Park.

2. STORSEISUNDET BRIDGE

The Storseisundet Bridge is known as “The Road to Nowhere,” for the way it appears to end in thin air when viewed from certain angles.

Found in Norway, this cantilevered bridge is the longest of the eight bridges in the Atlanterhavsveien, or Atlantic Road, which connects a peninsula on the mainland to the island of Averoya.

Storseisundet’s unique twist has earned it the occasional title of the drunken bridge as well.

3. TRIFT BRIDGE

If you’re afraid of heights, this bridge is certainly not the one for you. If not, enjoy walking 330 feet high up in the air suspended over the Triftsee Lake below in Switzerland.

The Trift Bridge is the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the Swiss Alps. It’s sturdier than it looks, allowing over 20,000 people to cross it each year.

The Trift Bridge connects the two sides of the lake, leading to the Trift Glacier.

4. UMSHIANG DOUBLE DECKER ROOT BRIDGE

The Umshiang Double Decker Root Bridge is a wonder, created by both humans and nature. It is one of a series known as “living bridges, built by the War-Khasis tribe, in Cherrapunji, India. Each bridge takes between 10 and 15 years to build.

They are created, using a hollowed out tree trunk to guide the secondary roots of Ficus Elastica trees into the desired form.

The bridges originally arose as a way to combat the rot that a normal wooden bridge would experience in the incredibly wet climate. Cherrapunjee claims to be the world's wettest place, receiving around 12m of rain a year - 20 times the amount that falls on London annually.

What’s even more impressive is the strength of these bridges; they’re capable of holding dozens of people at a time.

The Umshiang Double Decker Root Bridge connects one bank of a small river in Cherrapunji, India, to the other bank.

5. BANPO BRIDGE

Wow. That’s the first thought when looking at Banpo Bridge in Seoul, South Korea. The bridge allows for both pedestrian and bicycle traffic, but the best view must be from the sides, watching water tumble out lit by changing colored lights reflected in the Han River below.

The Banpo Bridge connects the Seocho and Yongsan districts of South Korea.

6. LAERDAL TUNNEL

Laerdal Tunnel in Norway is the longest road tunnel in the world at 15.23 miles long. It is so long, that it divides into four sections, each about 3.7 miles long. It is so long that it takes driver fatigue into consideration -- it is separated by three caves that serve as rest areas or turning around points.

The caves are the most beautiful part. The main tunnel is lit by normal white lights, but lighting in the caves has been planned with a combination of blue and yellow lighting at the edges to give the impression of the rising sun.

The Laerdal Tunnel  connects Laerdal, Norway to Aurland, Norway.

7. PARQUE FRANCISCO ALVARADO

Expertly cultivated hedges form a surreal tunnel in the Parque Francisco Alvarado in Zarcero, Costa Rica, connecting meanderers to both nature and fantasy.

The tunnel, designed by Evangelisto Blanco, is fashioned as topiaries, shaped into abstract and sometimes bizarre animals. Each opening is slightly different, creating a wandering effect that is both fun to walk through and look at.

Blanco has cultivated this topiary garden since the 1960’s, and he frequently changes the cut of the hedges, so you’ll have to hurry up to check out this tunnel.

8. BUND SIGHTSEEING TUNNEL

Bund Sightseeing Tunnel in Shanghai is one of our “old” favorites. We love traveling through it. And, when in Shanghai, we always make sure we go through it, back and forth, several times, just for the experience.

The psychedelic light and music show changes as you progress on an automatic vehicle from beginning to end, including colorful lights, pictures, patterns, and images of Chinese history and culture.

The trip through only takes about five minutes, so make sure your eyes drink everything in while you have a chance.

The tunnel connects the Shanghai districts of Hongkou to the north and Huangpu to the south.

9. ST. JAMES CEMETERY TUNNEL

While this tunnel in Liverpool, UK might be considered somewhat macabre by some, the slight upward slope and the 57,000 Edwardian & Victorian era gravestones give this tunnel a powerful ability for emotional connection.

People of all walks of life and levels of social status are buried here, reminding us of the melancholy but universal connection between life and death.

The St. James Cemetery Tunnel connects the St. James Cemetery to the rest of Liverpool, UK.  

10. YARNBURY FLUE TUNNEL

In the past, Yarnbury Flue Tunnel would have been very dangerous to explore, but luckily for us that has changed. This tunnel was once used as part of the Yarnbury Mines in Yorkshire Dales, United Kingdom to funnel hot gases, allowing them to condense and deposit the precious metal lead along the tunnel walls.

The tunnel would then be blasted with water from a large reservoir at the top of the hill, washing the metal deposits down to a settling pool where the lead could be collected.

But now that the mines have been abandoned, the tunnel system has become a beautiful labyrinth, now open for exploration.

The Yarnbury Flue Tunnel connects the base of the hill used for smelting in Yarnbury Mine, Yorkshire Dales, to the central chimney of the mine.

Read more about Beautiful Connections, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including A Bounty of Beautiful Connections, New Beautiful Brain Connections, Amazing Flavor Love Connections, and 10 New Art Connections that Wow.

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Connections in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 06.22.14. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!

PHOTO CREDITS:

1. Photo: by Erik Yeoh. Henderson Waves Bridge.
2. Photo: by Øyvind Haga. Storseisundet Bridge.
3. Photo: by Alessandro Valerio. Trift Bridge.
4. Photo: Courtesy of Twisted Sifter. Umshiang Double-Decker Root Bridge.
5. Photo: Courtesy of Amazing Pic World. Banpo Bridge.
6. Photo: by Gerdragon. Laerdal Tunnel.
7. Photo: by Vytautas Šėrys. Parque Francisco Alvarado in Costa Rica.
8. Photo: by Zhang Wenjie. Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, Shanghai, China.
9. Photo: by Mike Behnken. Bund Sightseeing Tunnel.
10. Photo: by Beverley Goodwin. St. James Cemetery Tunnel, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
11. Photo: by Tom Blackwell. Yarnbury Flue Tunnel.