World News – Would you dare to go on this bridge? Those with fears of heights need not apply.
Enjoy the view — but maybe don’t look down.
The world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge has been inaugurated in southern Switzerland, carrying hikers 1,620 feet across an Alpine ravine at a height of up to 300 feet.
It forms part of the Europaweg, part of a two-day mountain trail connecting the towns of Grächen and Zermatt, and saves walkers a long detour after a previous bridge was damaged by falling rocks.
The steel facility offers a stunning panorama of the surrounding Alps, but is only 25 inches wide and its grated surface means it is possible to look down into the Grabengufer ravine below.
The local tourism agency warned that the bridge, officially opened Saturday near the town of Randa, was “for hikers with no fear of heights.”
“The thrill of traversing the precipice is indescribable,” Zermatt Tourism said in a news release.
The bridge offers stunning views of the 14,783-foot Weisshorn — a mountain slightly taller than the more famous nearby Matterhorn.
by ALASTAIR JAMIESON, NBCNews.com
