Geierlay Suspension Bridge
The Geierlay Bridge is a suspension bridge in the Hunsrück. Therefore it is also known as Geierlay Suspension Bridge. In german it is called Geierlaybrücke. The bridge is the main attraction of the smal village Mörsdorf. It means both, a curse and a blessing for the small town. It´s similar to the Lake Braies – where significantly more visitors come every day than residents live here. In Mörsdorf it was a very quick tourist start – from 0 to 100. Before the bridge was built, almost nobody in the remote Hunsrück region had anything to do with tourism. Before the Geierlay Suspension Bridge was built, there was resignation in tthe village. Except for agriculture, there was almost no income for the residents to earn. A new revitalization of the place should be created. But what to do to get new life in the remote village in the Hunsrück? The idea of the Geierlay Bridge first came up in 2006. At that time, the small town of Mörsdorf was thinking about how the village should continue. Around 600 people live in Mörsdorf, and the financial income was not exactly lavish.
As is always the case with big thoughts and plans: the idea of a huge suspension bridge was initially classified as impossible. Incidentally, that was also the case more than 100 years ago when the Höllentalklamm was opened in Garmisch Partenkirchen wanted to develop. But that’s only marginally. In any case, the idea of the Geierlay Bridge lay dormant for a few years until 2010, when Ingo Börsch, Hans-Peter Platten and Marcus Kirchhoff thought about the bridge again. It is thanks to these three people from Mörsbach that the suspension bridge in the Hunsrück was realised. They took care of the feasibility study in 2010. This was followed in 2014 by the financing and then the building application. This was possible with the income from wind power. Construction began on May 26, 2015 and was completed in record time: the Geierlay Bridge was opened on October 3, 2015. Since then, 200,000 visitors have come every yearto admire the spectacle. On October 26th, 2019, 4 years and 23 days after the official opening, the 1,000,000th visitor was welcomed. Nicole Kerber from Merzig crossed the bridge as the 1,000,000th visitor.
And how is the atmosphere in the village? Mixed. When we were here, some locals reported that there were just so many visitors to the place. You used to know everyone walking down the street. Today that is no longer the case. Of course, that doesn’t feel so homely. So please be considerate when you go on this trip! Behave as you would like visitors to behave on your own doorstep . Calm, courteous and friendly. And take your rubbish with you too!
How to get there?
To the Geierlay Suspension Bridge from Frankfurt it takes approximately two hours. The Geierlaybrücke is in the Hunsrück and spans a side valley of the Moselle river. Some assume that the Geierlay Bridge is located directly on the Moselle. That’s not the case. The suspension bridge is located between the towns of Sosberg and Mörsdorf. It is part of every Hunsrück holiday, but is also a popular destination for a day if you spend a holiday on the Moselle. The way from the Moselle to Geierlay is not that far. We have collected all the information here for your orientation:
–> how to get there
How long does it take to walk across the Geierlay Bridge?
You will be amazed at how quickly you walked over the bridge: the pure walking time over the Geierlay suspension rope bridge is around 10 minutes at a slow walking pace. However, you cannot drive directly to the bridge by car. It’s a bit of a walk from the parking lot to Geierlay Bridge. Therefore, depending on the location of your parking lot, you will need a little time to walk to the bridge head in addition to the walking time over the bridge. To this comes the way back. You should therefore plan a total of around two to three hours for this excursion in the Hunsrück. Then you don’t need to rush and can enjoy the experience.
Where does the name Geierlay Bridge come from?
The field name on which today’s Geierlay bridge is located bears the name Geierslay. This field name in turn has its origin from the vulture and the ley. The term ley is very common in the region. Literally translated it means vulture rock . The name Geierlay is an artificial term and was created as part of a public naming process for the bridge.
Geierlay Suspension Bridge hike
The small Geierlay suspension bridge hike runs allong the way from the parking lot to the bridge. After crossing the bridge you hike back to the parking lot. You prefer a longer hike? Choose the circular hike! More about this hike in the text section below under the title Geierlayschleife. Whether with or without a circular hike: We personally recommend that you visit the two hidden vantage points after crossing the bridge. You are only a few minutes from the end of the bridge – but only a few hikers know these viewpoints. You can read how to find it and what there is to see in our article about the hike – you will also find the complete description and many pictures:
-> Geierlay Bridge hike
The Geierlay loop
The Geierlay loop is well known. It is the extended Geierlaybrücke hike, a circular hike around the suspension bridge. It also leads you over the Geierlay itself and you come down into the valley. So you can throw different views of the most famous bridge in the Hunsrück. On this route you walk part of the way along the busy paths that all visitors walk to get to the Geierlay Bridge (to take the famous picture of the bridge). In addition, this circular hike also leads over lonely paths that are only used by hikers or locals. That is the advantage of the Geierlay loop. This hike is a moderate hike for experienced hikers that you will complete in around 3 hours.
–> Geierlay loop
Geierlay Facts & Figures
- 360m length
- 100 m height
- 85 cm wide footpath at the narrowest point
- 57 tons own weight
- The bridge carries 50 tons (i.e. 600 people with 80 kg each
- 6 months construction time
- €1.2 million costs
- Opening: 03.10.2015
- open daily
Geierlay Suspension Bridge tickets
Along with the parking lot, the question about the Geierlay suspension bridge tickets is one of the most popular topics. And yes, there is very good news: The entry to the Geierlay Bridge is free! There is no entrance fee at any of the bridgeheads. Only during Corona was there staff for a short time who had to pay attention to the minimum number of visitors. During this time, admission was collected – the municipality calls it a security fee. But luckily that’s a thing of the past. You don´t need any ticket for your hike over the bridge.
But you have to pay for parking – and it´s not cheap. You can park in one of the official parking lots in Mörsbach only. Otherwise you have to reckon with a fine or even being towed away. So that you are informed in advance, we have all the information about parking here – and where you can even park your car for free:
-> Parking Geierlay Bridge
Frequently asked questions about the Geierlay suspension bridge
The Geierlay Bridge is located in Rhineland-Palatinate. The bridge is in the Hunsrück, a low mountain range in Germany. When it opened, it was the longest suspension rope bridge in Germany. The bridge connects the municipalities of Mörsdorf and Sosberg. You can reach it relatively easily from the city triangle between Koblenz, Trier and Mainz.
Parking in the small town of Mörsdorf is only possible in the officially designated parking spaces. Otherwise there is a parking ban throughout the site. These are the parking options plus all information about parking at the Geierlay Bridge.
Depending on which parking lot you park your car in, it is between 1.7 kilometers and 4.3 kilometers until you reach the Geierlay Bridge.
Yes, we recommend wearing walking shoes. Even the short walk from the parking lot to the bridge leads through a piece of forest. If you want to hike the Geierlayschleife, you should also put on hiking shoes.
The Geierlay Suspension bridge is one of the most visited bridges in Germany. In addition to this well-known suspension bridge, there are other bridges that you should have seen once. Have a look at the Devil´s Bridge and the Bastei Bridge. We have already visited them and report about them here. Have you alrady heard of the beautifulst bridge in Berlin? It´s the Oberbaumbrücke. Inspire yourself and simply click into our experiences: We summarized the most beautiful bridges in Germany.
You should also visit the Schiefer Turm von Pisa, known as the Leaning Tower. The Ramblas are the best known area for shopping and strolling in Barcelona. Best Barcelona viewpoints: Tibidabo, Montjuic and Bunker del Carmel.
A note on our own behalf
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Remember the Geierlay Bridge
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