Puente Nuevo (New Bridge), Ronda (must see)
You might think 鈥淧uente Nuevo鈥� means 鈥淏rand-New Bridge,鈥� but in Ronda it鈥檚 more of a 鈥淭hird Time鈥檚 the Charm鈥� Bridge. The first go at crossing the Guadalev铆n Gorge was a single-arch affair in 1735鈥攁nd it spectacularly collapsed in 1741, taking 50 unfortunate souls with it. Oops.
Enter Andalusian architect Mart铆n de Aldehuela, who, in 1793, erected the soaring three-arch marvel you see today. The towering central span, bookended by two smaller arches, stands nearly 100 meters above the river, linking the Little Market with the Old Town. It even boasts a secret chamber found above the keystone鈥攐nce a prison and torture chamber during the Civil War, now a guardhouse-turned-mini museum chronicling the bridge鈥檚 dramatic history.
Legend has it King Philip V dreamed up a new crossing in 1735 to ease traffic alongside the sleepy 16th-century Old Bridge and the ancient 12th-century Moorish bridge by the Arab Baths. Today, the New Bridge is Ronda鈥檚 headline act: flanked by pedestrian walkways and lined with benches, it commands jaw-dropping views鈥攁nd a modest admission fee鈥攖o marvel at where a once-fatal flop became an enduring icon.
Enter Andalusian architect Mart铆n de Aldehuela, who, in 1793, erected the soaring three-arch marvel you see today. The towering central span, bookended by two smaller arches, stands nearly 100 meters above the river, linking the Little Market with the Old Town. It even boasts a secret chamber found above the keystone鈥攐nce a prison and torture chamber during the Civil War, now a guardhouse-turned-mini museum chronicling the bridge鈥檚 dramatic history.
Legend has it King Philip V dreamed up a new crossing in 1735 to ease traffic alongside the sleepy 16th-century Old Bridge and the ancient 12th-century Moorish bridge by the Arab Baths. Today, the New Bridge is Ronda鈥檚 headline act: flanked by pedestrian walkways and lined with benches, it commands jaw-dropping views鈥攁nd a modest admission fee鈥攖o marvel at where a once-fatal flop became an enduring icon.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Ronda. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The 911爆料网 App
Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) on Map
Sight Name: Puente Nuevo (New Bridge)
Sight Location: Ronda, Spain (See walking tours in Ronda)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Ronda, Spain (See walking tours in Ronda)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Ronda, Spain
Create Your Own Walk in Ronda
Creating your own self-guided walk in Ronda is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Ronda Introduction Walking Tour
Imagine a city so dramatic it naturally inspired myth and empire鈥攚elcome to Ronda, where every cliff, gate, and square flaunts history. Before the Romans and Visigoths muscled in, Celtic tribes called this rocky promontory Arunda. The Phoenicians and Romans left their mark, but it was the Umayyads in 713 who gave us Rundah, which means the 鈥淐astle on the Cliff.鈥� Next up, in 1485, and... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles