Father Bernatek Pedestrian Bridge

The wonderful gravity defying sculptures on the Father Bernatek Pedestrian Bridge

Visitors to Krakow should not miss a stroll across the Father Bernatek Pedestrian Bridge. Completed in 2010, it honours a Cracovian monk (who founded the Bonifrater Hospital in Krakow), and now provides a much needed link between the ever popular Bohemian district of Kazimierz to the often neglected Podgórze across the river. Built using no supports and suspended on an arch, it is an attractive structure designed by Andrzej Getter. It is positioned on the site of a former road bridge that was dismantled in 1925. Since it opened, it has encouraged a broad selection of small bars, cafes and restaurants to locate along ul. Mostowa from Plac Wolnica in Kazimierz, across the river onto ul. Nadwiślańska and the Rynek Podgórski in Podgórze. As a result it is sometimes dubbed the "party bridge". In addition, as seems to be the tradition in a number of European cities in recent years, loving couples have bolted their commitment to each other in the form of engraved padlocks which are clamped in their hundreds to the flanks of the bridge. Unfortunately, it seems for many of these lovers, the first post relationship split activity is to hack these padlocks off with bolt cutters - often damaging the railings in the process.

The wonderful gravity defying sculptures on the Father Bernatek Pedestrian Bridge

Rynek Podgórski

There is of course an additional reason to take a stroll along the twin walkways of the bridge due to the truly amazing exhibition of acrobatic sculptures dangling in gravity defying poses on the wires of the bridge structure. Nine characters designed by Polish artist Jerzy ‘Jotki’ Kędziora are represented in an installation named "Between the water and the sky".