Passerelle des Trois Pays

The Passerelle des Trois Pays (Three Countries Bridge) is a long, slim pedestrian and cycle bridge spanning the Rhine between Huningue in France and Weil am Rhein in Germany. The bridge is quite photogenic with its single steel arch leaning gently over a curving deck strung with fine cables, right beside the point where France, Germany and Switzerland meet. It is a clean, graceful bit of engineering, with the shallow arch reflecting in the calm river below and the deck lights running the whole way across. The best shooting is from the water's edge rather than up on the bridge. You can easily set up on either Huningue Beach on the French side, or the riverside walking path on the German side. Ideally try to work low by the water's surface to catch the full arch along with its reflection doubled in the Rhine. A wide lens will help you take in the whole span and a big sky, while a longer lens lets you compress the arch and pick out the cables and the towns stacked behind. Blue hour is amazing here, just after sunset the deck and arch light up white and warm against a deep blue sky and the reflections stretch down the still water. A colourful sunset or a moody overcast day also work well too, plus a slow shutter smooths the river nicely. The bridge is open all hours and free to cross on foot or by bike, with parks, parking, and riverside terraces on both banks. Even though you are crossing from country to country there are no border checks to pass through. (Huningue, France/Weil am Rhein, Germany)