Geierlay Suspension Bridge

The Geierlay opened in October 2015, a rope suspension bridge three hundred and sixty metres long and up to a hundred metres above the valley floor, built to a Nepalese design by the villages of Mörsdorf and Sosberg as an economic project for an area losing population. The deck is about eighty-five centimetres wide with a mesh floor, and it moves noticeably underfoot. Visitor numbers far exceeded projections, and the villages built car parks and a visitor centre to cope. A circular walk of around six kilometres crosses the bridge and returns through the valley on the far side.

What you actually see

• The 360-metre span - a rope bridge up to a hundred metres above the valley.
• The moving deck - a narrow mesh floor that swings underfoot.
• The village project - a bridge built to bring visitors to a declining area.
• The circular walk - a six-kilometre loop crossing and returning.

When to go

April to October; the bridge closes in high wind, thunderstorms and ice. Weekends bring long walks from overflow parking. Early morning avoids the crowds.

Honest expectations

The bridge closes in wind without warning. Parking is paid and a walk of up to a kilometre from the bridge. It is not for those uneasy with heights or movement.

Nearby

The Moselle lies north; Idar-Oberstein is south.