The drawbridge

In 1988, the drawbridge in Darłowo connected the two parts of Darłówek. In the years between 1977 and 1988, the only way to cross the Wieprza River, was to take the pay-ferry. The previous wooden drawbridge came from the 17th century, and after it was renovated in the 19th century, it was still available for the town citizens. The passageway for ships was 10.3 meters wide. Unfortunately, the far-reaching plans to turn Darłowo into a port town, caused that the old bridge was disassembled in the 1970’s. This decision was taken for fear that the old bridge could make it impossible for bigger ships to sail into the town.

The present bridge is a steel and concrete construction and it is 58 meters long. Since the very beginning, it has caused much controversy, both among the town citizens and among tourists. Its untypical construction makes it the only such object in Poland. The extraordinary, futuristic design of the control tower makes people call it “UFO”. The bridge is open only for pedestrians and for emergency vehicles.