Father Bernatek Footbridge

A 145-metre steel arch, two suspended decks and bronze acrobats who seem to be balancing above the Vistula – within a few years the Father Bernatek Footbridge has become one of the symbols of modern Kraków. It links Kazimierz with Podgórze exactly where an old route once ran between Plac Wolnica and Podgórze Market Square. It makes a good starting point for a walk through both districts, and after dark it is one of the best-lit spots on Kraków's riverfront.

History: a bridge that came back

The footbridge stands on the abutments of the former Podgórze Bridge, restoring a crossing that had disappeared from the city map. It was designed by the studio of Professor Andrzej Getter. The structure was assembled on the riverbank by Bulwar Kurlandzki and on 19 June 2010 floated into place on barges and lifted by cranes. It opened on 30 September 2010. The whole structure weighs more than 700 tonnes and cost over PLN 38 million, PLN 15 million of which came from EU funds.

It is named after Father Laetus Bernatek, a Brother Hospitaller who, around 1900, drove the construction of the Bonifratrzy (Brothers Hospitallers) hospital in Kraków. The name was controversial: some residents and Podgórze district councillors wanted it called the Podgórze Footbridge or Charles Footbridge, after a much older bridge that once stood nearby.

What to see

• Jerzy Kędziora's sculptures from the series "Between Heaven and Earth" – figures hanging on cables above the decks, apparently keeping their balance by sheer will.
• Two separate decks suspended from the arch, one for pedestrians and one for cyclists, each about 130 m long.
• LED illumination – the arch is lit from below with changing light. In 2011 it won a national award for lighting, and the same year took first prize for footbridges in the Maksymilian Wolff Bridge Competition.
• Love padlocks on the railings – couples lock them here and throw the key into the Vistula.

Interesting facts

The bridge that was finally built differs considerably from the design that won the architectural competition, which proved hard to construct and was heavily reworked. It also had its critics: some locals argued that a new crossing was unnecessary next to two existing bridges with wide pavements. Today, though, it is hard to miss how it has brought life to Mostowa and Brodzińskiego streets and the adjoining riverside boulevards.

Tripto tip

Come twice: by day to see the sculptures up close, and after sunset when the arch glows above the river. The crossing itself takes a few minutes, but the bridge works best as part of a longer loop: from Plac Wolnica along Mostowa Street to the other bank, on to Podgórze Market Square and St Joseph's Church, then back along the boulevards. Stick to the pedestrian deck – cyclists move fast here, and weekend afternoons can get crowded.