Latjesbrug (Slatted bridge number 50)
Brug nummer vijftig is not along the Keizersgracht. It’s not even in the same neighbourhood. Located between the botanical gardens and the maritime museum along Nieuwe Herengracht where it flows into the Entrepotdok at Anne Frankstraat it is our first bascule bridge. A bascule bridge (aka drawbridge) has a bridge plate that raises to allow water traffic to pass by below. The counterweight is often hidden below the road surface in the bridge abutment and this is the case for #bridge50.
The iron bridge has wooden slats as a road surface, which gives the bridge the nickname Latjesbrug. This relatively new bridge is quite large and looks far too wide for the area and there is a reason for that which we will cover in the post about its history.
