Mamfe German Bridge

Mamfe stands on the Cross river in the forested south-west, at a crossing that has always mattered because the river is wide and the country around is difficult, and the steel bridge built there during the German colonial period before the First World War still spans it. It is a riveted structure of trusses and girders, shipped in sections and assembled on site, and it has carried traffic across the river for over a century in a climate that is hard on steel. The town around it is a trading centre for the forest region and a crossing point toward the Nigerian border. The river below is broad and brown, used by pirogues.

What you actually see

• A riveted steel truss bridge - assembled from shipped sections a century ago.
• The Cross river crossing - the point the town exists to serve.
• Pirogues on the water below - the river traffic under the bridge.
• Forest country around the town - the difficult ground the crossing serves.

When to go

November to February, the drier season, when roads to Mamfe are passable. One hour. The river is highest and most impressive in the wet months.

Honest expectations

The South-West region has experienced serious disruption in recent years and travel there has been restricted; check current official guidance and local conditions carefully before planning any trip. The road to Mamfe is notoriously bad. The bridge is a working structure, not a monument.

Nearby

The Nigerian border is west; Bamenda lies north-east.