A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006, the Vizcaya Bridge is considered an icon of the Industrial Revolution, and a triumph of 19th-century ironworking traditions. Located north of Bilbao—and poised over the River Nervión, near where it widens to meet the sea—the bridge links the towns of Getxo and Portugalete. Little has changed since its construction: It spans 525 feet (160 meters) and its four iron towers stand 148 feet (45 meters) high. The bridge’s design, in which vehicles and people are transferred via a hanging gondola, ensures no interruption to the maritime traffic below.
Today, the Vizcaya Bridge runs through the day and night, and some 200 passengers, six cars, and additional cyclists and motorcyclists can ride on its suspended gondola at any one time. A trip by gondola takes just 90 seconds, though visitors can also take elevators up to its elevated walkway for impressive aerial views.