Pärnu Suursild: The Bridge That Survived in Its Piers
Align the two stone piers and reveal why the bridge above them changed completely while its original foundations remained.
The story
At first, the old and modern photographs seem to show two different bridges. The arches have vanished, the deck is different and the vertical details have changed. But look at the two heavy stone piers rising from the river. They are not modern copies. The present Kesklinna bridge was built on the surviving supports of the original Suursild.
Pärnu had wanted a permanent crossing for decades. In the spring of 1903, moving ice carried away the earlier floating Nahksild and cut communication between the riverbanks for two weeks. The city began planning a permanent bridge, but designs, fundraising, war and political change delayed construction for more than thirty years. Work finally began in 1936.
Open Pärnu Suursild in WanderTrails
Walk to the real viewpoint, raise your camera, align the guide with today's view — and watch the past appear over the present, with the full audio story in English, Estonian, or Russian.
