Finally opened to circulation in 2012 after 3 years of construction, countless traffic jams and annoyances, the Hans-Wilsdorf bridge is one awesome piece of steel. Spanning 85 meters and beautifully lit at night with constantly changing colours, it is my favourite bridge in Geneva.
The bridge connects two popular neighbourhoods, Plainpalais and Acacias-Vernets. At one end of it is the famous Rue de l’École de Médecine with its bars and nightlife, and on the other, the Vernets sports complex, home of the Genève Servette Hockey Club. World cup and European cup viewing festivals are also organized in the sports complex’s parking lot, so on game nights (hockey or football), people arrive en masse across the bridge in an explosion of team and country colours.
Offered as a gift to the City of Geneva by the Hans-Wilsdorf foundation, it also has an outdoor exhibit venue at one end, which is currently showing one about the different stages of construction of the bridge.