Železňák Bridge
Technically unique and beautiful to look at
On the way from Nové Bránice or Dolní Kounice to Ivančice you will see an interesting technical monument across the valley of the Jihlava River. Next to the new railway bridge across the valley, there is the torso of the old bridge Železňák, which has been in use since 1870. It was the first all-iron bridge in Austria-Hungary. It was built here - in just 5 weeks! - in difficult terrain as part of the construction of the Brno-Vienna railway route. It was in active operation until 1979, when it was replaced by a similarly constructed bridge right next to it.
The rest of the Bránice bridge is now a cultural monument, unfortunately it continues to deteriorate. Does it remind you of the construction of the Eiffel Tower? Now would be opportunity to mention a story about Eiffel in the Ivančice region... But no, it's just an illusion and a romantic notion, in reality the local bridge has nothing to do with Gustav Eiffel.
