Vasco da Gama Bridge, Lisbon, Portugal 10 Sep 2024

Vasco da Gama Bridge, Lisbon, Portugal

Today"s image features the Vasco da Gama Bridge in Portugal, which looks like a sleek line cutting through Lisbon"s skyline. Up close, it is a cable-stayed bridge with viaducts, stretching across the Tagus River in Parque das Nações, a civil parish in Lisbon. The second longest bridge in Europe, it also holds the title of being the longest in the European Union. Built to ease the traffic jam on Lisbon"s 25 de Abril Bridge and make travel smoother between the north and south of Portugal, the construction of the Vasco da Gama Bridge began in February 1995. It is earthquake-resistant, designed to absorb shifting during a quake. Since its deck is not fixed to the pylons, it can move both lengthwise and sideways. Inaugurated on March 29, 1998, the bridge"s opening was perfectly timed for Expo 98, the World"s Fair celebrating the 500th anniversary of Vasco da Gama"s historic sea route discovery from Europe to India.

© Achim Thomae/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

The other great barrier reef
Sep 9, 2023Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand
10 Sep 2025Hay bales in North Yorkshire, England

More Desktop Wallpapers:

12 Dec 2023Reed bunting
17 Jan 2025Brown pelican, San Diego, California, United States
18 Mar 2025Red rock formations, Sedona, Arizona, United States
Celebrating our looming lunar neighbour
Good cold fun
6 Oct 2023Taughannock Falls State Park, New York
26 Aug 2025Trullo buildings in Alberobello, Apulia, Italy
15 Jan 2024Pont Alexandre III, Paris, France
22 Jan 2025Ad-Deir, Petra, Jordan
7 Jun 2024World Oceans Day
11 Oct 2024Grasmere, Lake District, Cumbria, England
Purple mountain majesties
3 Feb 2024Carnival of Venice
Who uses this grassy bridge?
15 Aug 2024Hang Sơn Đoòng, Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, Vietnam
A peck between penguins
19 Oct 2025Apples ready for harvest, Minnesota, United States
26 Nov 2024Celebrating World Olive Tree Day
13 Sep 2024Point Reyes National Seashore, California, USA
Birthplace of the Renaissance
15 Oct 2025Amethyst laccaria mushrooms, Seabeck, Washington, United States
15 May 2024The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
16 Aug 2024International Roller Coaster Day
11 Apr 2024Dragon waterfall, Venezuela
27 Jan 2026Dalmatian pelicans, Lake Kerkini, Greece
An ocean of stars above the desert
25 Sep 2024Sequoia National Park, California, USA
30 Oct 2025Pushkar Camel Fair
21 Aug 2025Wheatear, Peak District National Park, England
10 Jul 2025Independence Day of the Bahamas