The Miracle Moses Bridge near Halsteren, Netherlands

On a wonderfully sunny day myself together with a friends, Theodore and Dutchified vlogger, Arnaud Wiehe, decided to take a road trip to the Moses Bridge near Halsteren in the Netherlands. We had read up about this amazing architectural wonder and decided that we simply had to view it in person. Here’s the lowdown!

The Moses Bridge can be found at Fort de Roovere near Halsteren in the West Brabant region of the country. It’s a little out of the way and you definitely need a car to visit. But let me tell you that it’s well worth the journey!

Fort de Roovere dates from the 1600s and forms part of the West Brabant Dutch Water Line. More recently, the fort fell into a state of disrepair and it was only in 2010 that restoration began. That same year, RO&AD Architects wanted to build a bridge but felt that a proper bridge over the water would ruin the visual appeal of the fort. It was then decided that a special kind of bridge should be built – one that would be almost invisible, something completely innovative and modern and which would not disrupt the original design of the fort.

The result is the Moses Bridge and as the name suggests, the bridge itself splits the water into two making it possible to move almost through the water without getting wet. In fact, the wooden bridge allows you to really get in touch with nature at an arm’s length, so to speak. It’s built in such a way that you’re at the same height as the water level when walking through to the otherside.

What I appreciated about visiting the Moses Bridge is the tranquility – this is not a touristy place and is somewhat off-the-beaten-track. In fact, there were only a couple of local cyclists, joggers and two horseriders – but we didn’t see more than 10 people from the time of our arrival and they all weren’t even right at the bridge itself but only in the surrounding area.

 

As we arrived we set off to take some (hopefully) amazing shots of this marvel.

And this is what we captured…

The Moses bridge is certainly a wonder – it brings a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘standing on a bridge’ – for one is certainly not only on a bridge but also within, making you part of the fort but also part of nature. A rather unusual contrast of being almost within the man-made and the natural all at the same time.

And there is also something so mesmerizing about the bridge due to the play of light on the water, the lovely water lillies and the very green surroundings set against a backdrop of blue sky (if you’re lucky enough to visit on a good day that is!).

And here’s the result of Arnaud’s hard work capturing this bridge on film for his Youtube channel, Dutchified. We absolutely love this, don’t you?

Have you discovered any incredible architectural wonders such as the Moses Bridge? Tell us in a comment below. We’d love to discover more hidden gems like this.