The 170-metre-long and 80cm-wide Trift Bridge is a spectacular suspension rope bridge for pedestrians in the Swiss Trift area. The high alpine mountain and glacier landscape surrounding it offers fantastic mountain hikes and stunning views of the Trift Glacier Lake and the glacier tongue.
The Trift Bridge is located in the Trift Valley in the Swiss canton of Bern and is one of our top 10 sights in Switzerland. The impressive hanging rope bridge was built in 2009 in only 6 weeks of construction time and allows mountaineers to cross the breathtaking Trift Gorge on their way to the Trifthütte.
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Origin of the Trift Bridge
The construction of the bridge was prompted by the retreat of the Trift Glacier, which used to make it possible to cross the Trift Gorge. Today, however, the Trift glacier has disappeared and instead a glacial lake forms the bottom of the gorge, which would have to be bypassed over a large area.
The Trift Bridge is 170 metres long, 80 cm wide and spans the Trift Gorge at a height of about 100 metres. Crossing the slightly swaying suspension rope bridge at this lofty height requires some courage. However, this is richly rewarded, because from the Trift bridge there is a stunning panorama of the Trift glacier lake and the glacier tongue.
In 2009, the Trift Bridge replaced a bridge that was only five years old and had been built over the Trift Gorge in 2004. However, this bridge easily got into violent swaying during wind turbulences and was thus a risk for the partly poorly equipped hikers. The old bridge was dismantled after the new bridge was completed and rebuilt in the Göschenertal in 2010.
The Trift area is a high alpine mountain and glacier landscape with the possibility for spectacular mountain hikes. Hiking or trekking boots, good equipment and a minimum of surefootedness are, however, an absolute prerequisite for the ascent.
Access to the Trift Bridge
The easiest way to access the Triftbrücke is to take the Triftbahn up the mountain from the Gadmental to Triftalp. The journey time with the gondola lift for a maximum of 8 people is approx. 10 minutes. Attention: On nice weekends there can be longer waiting times - up to 2 hours.
The Triftbahn operates from around the beginning/middle of June to mid-October. In bad weather, the railway operation may be suspended. It is then about 1.5 hours' walk from the mountain station to the bridge.
Those who want something more strenuous can walk up from the Susten road via 2 hiking trails to the Trift bridge. Here the walking time is approx. 3 to 4 hours.
Huts near the Trift Bridge
Windegg Hut, 1887 metres abovesea level.
After crossing the Triftbrücke bridge, you reach the Windegg hut after about 30 minutes. You have two options: the "Ketteliweg" or quite comfortably via the "Familienweg".
Trift Hut, 2520 metres abovesea level.
A demanding alpine route: The Trift hut can be reached in approx. 3 hours walking time from the suspension rope bridge. After crossing the bridge, 2 10-metre ladders, a footbridge without railings and the crossing of 2 streams await the alpinist.
Related links:
Official website of the Trift area
Official website of the Trifthütte
Official website of the Windegg hut
