Old Thur Bridge
The eight-bay old Thur Bridge crosses the Thur southwest of the town center of Bischofszell and is the longest preserved natural stone bridge in Switzerland. It bears the name "crooked bridge" because its ground plan has several kinks so that the piers could be anchored on the Nagelfluh rocks in the river bed.
One of the most famous sights in Bischofszell is the legendary bridge, which was built in 1487 and donated by a noblewoman from Hohenzorn in memory of her sons who drowned in the river "free of tolls and road tolls". Instead of paying a toll, everyone who crosses the bridge should pray the Lord's Prayer.
The economic version reads a little more soberly: until 1796, use of the bridge remained duty-free, making Bischofszell a transshipment point for canvas and long-distance trade. In order to secure the important traffic route and protect the bridge piers from the often rising Thur, the striking flow dividers were built on both sides in the 16th or 17th century.
