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"Oh...here we go!," the 42-year-old said anxiously as he
gathered enough courage to step onto the see-through metal grid
pathway of the 516-metre-long (1693-ft) bridge alongside his
equally jittery partner and a tour guide.
Hidden between rock-strewn mountains covered with lush greenery
and yellow flowers inside the UNESCO-recognised Arouca Geopark,
the bridge hangs 175 meters above the fast-flowing River Paiva.
The landscape is calm, but the crossing is not for the
faint-hearted. Held up by steel cables and two massive towers on
each side, it wobbles a little with every step.
"I was a little afraid, but it was so worth it," a relieved
Xavier said already on the other side. "It was extraordinary, a
unique experience, an adrenaline rush."
The bridge opened only to local residents on Thursday, but from
Monday everyone can book a visit.
Locals hope the attraction, which cost about 2.3 million euros
($2.8 million) and took around two years to build, will help
revive the region, especially after the devastating COVID-19
pandemic.
"It is a breath of fresh air for our land because it will
attract more investment, more people," said tour guide Emanuel,
adding that the region was rapidly ageing as many young people
moved to big cities. "It will bring a new dynamic to Arouca."
Standing on the bridge, the mayor of Arouca, Margarida Belem,
said the bridge was part of a wider strategy to encourage more
people to move and stay in the region.
"There were many challenges that we had to overcome... but we
did it," the visibly proud mayor told Reuters. "There's no other
bridge like this one in the world."
($1 = 0.8254 euros)
(Reporting by Catarina Demony, Miguel Pereira and Violeta Moura;
Editing by Andrei Khalip and Raissa Kasolowsky)
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