56. St. Petersburg Bridges - Green, Red, and Blue Bridges
The Moyka River is spanned by thirteen bridges. Three of these in the city center are painted in distinctive colors, the only ones that remain decorated and named in this manner from what used to be a full rainbow's worth of painted bridges. You'll pass by all three consecutively as you stroll southwest along the Moyka River from Nevsky Prospekt to St. Isaac's Cathedral.
First, the Green Bridge (Zelenyy Most): a bridge has been in this spot since the early 18th century, although the current span was upgraded a number of times in the 19th century and fully renovated about 50 years ago. This bridge forms part of Nevsky Prospekt right in front of the Stroganov Palace.
The next bridge heading south along the Moyka embankment is the Red Bridge (Krasnyy Most). This stretch of the embankment has a more residential feel. A department store at the corner is named "Au Pont Rouge"; if you happen to be able to read French but are color blind, you'll still know where you are.
The most unusual of the three bridges is the next span south of Krasnyy Most. The Blue Bridge (Siniy Most) is a candidate for widest bridge in the world. It's easy to miss that it's a bridge at all, as there's a large parking lot right in the middle of it. This is where tourists park and congregate on their way to see St. Isaac's Cathedral or the Bronze Horseman. The railing on both sides of the bridge is painted a bright blue, but it's easy to forget it's all part of the same structure because you really can't see across the entire width. Tourist boats go underneath it on their way to the Neva River and I imagine the long tunnel must feel like an amusement park ride.
First, the Green Bridge (Zelenyy Most): a bridge has been in this spot since the early 18th century, although the current span was upgraded a number of times in the 19th century and fully renovated about 50 years ago. This bridge forms part of Nevsky Prospekt right in front of the Stroganov Palace.
The next bridge heading south along the Moyka embankment is the Red Bridge (Krasnyy Most). This stretch of the embankment has a more residential feel. A department store at the corner is named "Au Pont Rouge"; if you happen to be able to read French but are color blind, you'll still know where you are.
The most unusual of the three bridges is the next span south of Krasnyy Most. The Blue Bridge (Siniy Most) is a candidate for widest bridge in the world. It's easy to miss that it's a bridge at all, as there's a large parking lot right in the middle of it. This is where tourists park and congregate on their way to see St. Isaac's Cathedral or the Bronze Horseman. The railing on both sides of the bridge is painted a bright blue, but it's easy to forget it's all part of the same structure because you really can't see across the entire width. Tourist boats go underneath it on their way to the Neva River and I imagine the long tunnel must feel like an amusement park ride.
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