The highest Tibetan bridge in Europe was inaugurated last weekend in Valtellina, a beautiful Alpine area of Lombardy in northern Italy. The so-called ‘Ponte nel Cielo’ (Bridge in the Sky) connects Campo Tartano (80 km northeast of Milan), set among the Orobie mountains, to Frasnino, located at 1,039m above sea level. Suspended at a height of 140 meters, the bridge, made from local larch wood, is not only the highest, but also the longest in Europe, measuring 234 meters.

Visitors can walk it in both directions while admiring breathtaking views of the Alps. The local administration hopes the bridge will re-launch tourism in an area that has suffered from depopulation in recent decades. A mountain hut is slated to be built at the Frasnino end of the bridge for visitors to try the local cuisine, and also engage in a bit of birdwatching, looking for typical local species such as the woodpecker and the tawny owl.