The Loschwitz Bridge, known as the Blue Wonder, has connected the Dresden districts of Blasewitz and Loschwitz across the Elbe since 1893 and is considered a technical masterpiece of its time.
The Loschwitz Bridge, better known as the "Blue Wonder", is not only an architectural masterpiece, but also a piece of Dresden's living urban history. It has spanned the Elbe since 1893 and connects the Dresden districts of Blasewitz and Loschwitz - two former villa suburbs with a charm all of their own. At the time of its construction, the bridge was a technical novelty: a so-called "stiffened suspension bridge" without pillars, developed by the Saxon civil engineer Claus Koepcke in collaboration with the Königin-Marien-Hütte. Its dimensions are still impressive today - 280 meters long, 12 meters wide and weighing around 3,500 tons.
The bridge owes its nickname to its original light blue paint, which was already in place at the time of its inauguration - contrary to later rumors about alleged color changes due to the weather. It was the only one of Dresden's historic Elbe bridges to survive the bombing of the Second World War unscathed - thanks in part to the courageous Dresdeners who prevented the planned demolition in 1945.
Today, the Blaues Wunder is a popular attraction - not only for technology enthusiasts, but also for walkers, cyclists and day-trippers. Two technical rarities, the funicular railroad and the suspension railroad, are located directly on the bridge and take visitors up to vantage points with spectacular views over the Elbe valley. Along the Elbe, traditional beer gardens such as the Schillergarten invite you to linger. Just a short walk away, the famous Elbe castles tower over the river - an ensemble that impressively showcases the splendor of Dresden's banks of the Elbe.
