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Origin and history

Bridge number 1 is a historic monument located in Scherwiller, in the department of Lower Rhine (Great East region). Built around 1750, it is part of a set of four bridges built to cross streams along the former Sel Road, connecting Lorraine to the Rhine. This medieval road, taken for the transport of salt, was expanded and consolidated in the middle of the eighteenth century, with works including encroachments and the construction of bridges like this one.

The building is distinguished by its arch in the middle, its foothills and parapets, characteristic of the road architecture of the time. It is located on the route between Scherwiller and Thanvillé, near the place called Huhnelmuhle. The bridge is now owned by the municipality and is part of a local project to enhance the touristic heritage linked to the Sel Road.

The salt road, which has been active since the Middle Ages, played a major economic role by linking the Lorraine salines to the Rhine regions. In the 18th century, its layout reflected the growing need for the movement of goods and people. The bridges built at that time, such as Bridge No. 1, bear witness to these efforts of infrastructure, combining practical utility and durability, with local materials such as stone. Their preservation today offers an overview of the construction techniques and commercial networks of the Ancien Régime.

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