River Cantatas The rivers Göltzsch and White Elster form the two main lifelines of the Vogtland region. We follow their course starting at the imposing Göltzschtal Bridge and shortly afterward encounter its smaller sister, the Elster Valley Bridge. In the valleys, you can especially enjoy the sound of the flowing rivers and the babbling of the streams.
The impressive giant Göltzschtal Bridge is the fitting overture for this enchanting hiking trail, and in the final meters of the day’s walk the Elster Valley Bridge provides the furious final chord. The construction of the two gigantic brick bridges began in 1846 and ended, after only 5 years of construction, on June 15, 1851, with the simultaneous inauguration of both railway bridges.
Millions of red bricks were used, giving the bridges their characteristic color. 150,000 bricks were delivered daily from six nearby large brickworks and carefully installed by hand.
The Göltzschtal Bridge comprises an impressive 26 million bricks, while the “little sister” Elster Valley Bridge has 12 million. A special mortar was used in construction – a mixture of lime, sand, brick powder, alunite slag, and water, developed especially for the project by the Reichenbach pharmacist Heinrich Carl.
At times, over 2,500 workers were employed on the construction. The persistent legend that the designer fell off the Göltzschtal Bridge on the day of the inauguration because he feared the bridge would not bear the load is not true!
Note: Restrictions to hiking trails around the Elster Valley Bridge. Please inform yourself before your hike about possible restrictions or alternative routes.
