Hranice Viaducts – three enormous bridges

Three stone railway bridges in a row form a 430-metre-long landmark that is inseparably linked with Hranice.

The first, a brick bridge, was built in 1844 as part of the Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway project, which was intended to connect Vienna with Galicia. As a result, Hranice was provided with regular rail services from 1 May 1847. The second, a stone bridge, was completed after 3 years of work in 1872. The construction of the third, a concrete bridge, was interrupted by the First World War. It would eventually be completed in 1939.
Construction of the viaducts was very demanding work, and was carried out not only by local day labourers and homeless labourers who travelled in large groups from one construction site to another, but also, for example, by Italian prisoners of war during the First World War. Some workers also lost their lives while building the enormous bridges.
The youngest of the bridges was renovated in 2004, while the oldest bridge underwent repair work 3 years later. The huge viaducts were added to the list of cultural heritage sites in 2007.

Situated on the outskirts of Hranice in the direction of Potštát, the viaducts are freely accessible all year round.