They were built more than a century ago and today are considered monuments of technology. The railway bridges in Stańczyki became famous for their original architecture and picturesque location.
The bridges were built between 1912 and 1926, and their construction is linked to the construction of the railway line between Gołdap and Żytkiejmy. During the construction of the railway line, it was the erection of the bridges that was the biggest challenge for the engineers of the time. The construction of the first bridge was completed in 1917, and the bridge parallel to the first one was built between 1923 and 1926. Railway tracks were laid only on the first bridge. There were never any on the second.
In the 1930s, the railway line was mainly used to transport goods. Sporadic passenger trains ran through it, but eventually rail traffic was discontinued after 1945.
The structure of the bridges is five-span. The entire structure was built of reinforced concrete. The original architecture of the bridges is reminiscent of the aqueducts at Pont du Gard in France. Their construction was divided into several stages. The pillars were built first, followed by the arches and headwalls. At its highest point (i.e. from the mirror of the Błędzianka river flowing below to the level of the pavement), the height is 36 metres. characteristic parts of the structure are the decorative pilasters and brackets with heads.
In 1979, the viaducts gained the status of immovable monuments of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship. Today, the bridges are in private hands. It is possible to visit them after buying a ticket (normal 10 zł, reduced 7 zł). The structure also has many fans among extreme sports enthusiasts. In the past, bungee jumping was organised there.
The place is popular with tourists because of the picturesque landscape. Near the bridges, there is the nature trail “To the Kaiser’s Boulder”, which leads to a boulder commemorating the deer hunting of Kaiser Wilhelm II. The trail is 4 km long, and along the way, you can see a former Jaćwieski stronghold.
photos: Zala, wikimedia.org, licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
source: Zabytek.pl, “Świat kolei” 1/2006, author Roman Witkowski
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