Bolesławiec Railway Viaduct

On the western edge of Bolesławiec the railway leaps across the Bóbr valley on 489 metres of stone arches. Built from pale sandstone and opened in 1846, the viaduct looks like a Roman aqueduct transplanted to Lower Silesia – and trains between Wrocław and Dresden still run across it. It is the most photogenic piece of engineering heritage in town and a testament to the ambition of 19th-century railway builders.

History: two years to build, one day to destroy

The railway reached Bolesławiec in 1845, and extending it towards Węgliniec meant crossing the broad Bóbr valley. The design chosen was by Prussian architect Friedrich Engelhardt Gansel: long embankments and a viaduct of almost half a kilometre on 35 arches. The foundation stone was laid on 17 May 1844 and work began in June. More than 600 people worked directly on site, with another 3,200 employed indirectly. The stone – Cretaceous sandstone – came from quarries in nearby Dobra.

The first test train crossed on 5 July 1846, regular services began on 1 September, and on 17 September King Frederick William IV officially opened the bridge. The line was part of the Lower Silesian-Mark Railway linking Berlin and Wrocław (then Breslau).

On 10 February 1945 retreating German troops blew up part of the structure, destroying a pier and the vaults above the river. Reconstruction was completed as early as 1947, as a plaque on one of the rebuilt arches records. The line was electrified in the 1980s, and in 2009 the viaduct received a thorough overhaul: the stone was cleaned and new track and overhead wiring installed, allowing trains to cross at up to 160 km/h.

What to see

• The rhythm of the arches. The spans vary in width: the widest, about 15 metres, cross the river and national road 94, while the others measure 11.5 and 5.65 metres. You see this best from the side, from the meadows by the river.
• The height. The tracks run about 26 metres above the valley, and the piers are up to 3.75 metres thick. Standing beneath an arch gives you a feel for the scale of the stonemasons' work.
• Traces of 1945. The rebuilt section over the river differs slightly from the rest of the stone – look out for the plaque commemorating the reconstruction.
• The viaduct at night. Since 2006 the structure has been lit by 58 floodlights mounted on the inner faces of the piers. After dark the arches look like a row of glowing gateways over the valley.

Did you know?

• Dresden-to-Wrocław traffic across the viaduct is not history – this is still an important working line, used by many freight trains as well.
• Before the war a wooden footbridge ran beneath the viaduct, resting on the broad foundations in the riverbed. It was not rebuilt after 1945.
• The end of the 2009 renovation was marked by a "Light – Steam – Sound" show, and among the guests was a descendant of the designer, Gansel.

Tripto tip

The viaduct is accessible at any time and free of charge – you view it from outside. The best shots are from the green areas by the Bóbr and from beneath the arch over the road. It is a 15–20-minute walk from the market square. Allow 30–60 minutes, and if you can, come back after dark when the lighting is on. Remember this is a working railway – do not climb the embankments or walk on the tracks.