Bridge “Golden Gate” (USA) – description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
The Golden Gate Bridge is the most famous landmark of the city, a symbol of San Francisco and the entire Pacific coast of the United States. Soaring above the bay, the handsome man managed to light up in a good hundred films, acquire his own Internet site and, alas, acquire the sad fame of an ideal place to settle accounts with life: 75 meters of free flight into the waters of the Golden Gate Bay and a farewell look at the lights of the big city. However, the vast majority of tourists visit the bridge with a much more positive attitude – as evidenced by popular tours of the Golden Gate and rapidly sold out souvenirs with the silhouette of the famous red arches connected by ropes. See acronymmonster for nickname of Louisiana.
A bit of history
The idea to build the Golden Gate Bridge came about in 1933, during a period of great immigration to San Francisco, when it became apparent that the existing transportation system could no longer cope with the transportation of an ever-increasing population. The project was headed by American architects, however, as you might guess, the case was not without ours: a native of Odessa led the mathematical calculations. Four years later, the solemn opening of the bridge took place, and for the first twelve hours it was given over to the power of pedestrians. Further, motorists entered into the rights – and to this day you can both walk along the Golden Gates and drive by car or bicycle. Until 1964, the San Francisco Bridge was the largest suspension bridge in the world with a length of almost two kilometers (1970 m).
The authentic color of the bridge is called “international orange” – chosen after long consultations with architects, designers and security specialists, and meets all the requirements: it harmonizes with the colors of the landscape, is perfectly visible in the fog and, last but not least, looks beautiful in photographs.
Where to eat
In addition to the numerous eateries on the San Francisco side of the bridge, treat yourself to Californian cuisine or just kill a worm at the Bridge Cafe, located at the southeast pillar of the Golden Gate.
What to watch
There are many ways to see the bridge, from a relaxed taxi ride to a bike ride and a walking tour. In the latter case, we recommend taking into account the length of the Golden Gate – a little less than 2 km, so the forces should be calculated in advance. Car traffic is divided into six lanes, but not three in each direction, but according to the congestion of the highway – two and four or, in especially difficult cases, one and five.
Bicycle paths are available along both sides of the bridge, east and west, but they operate on a schedule: as a rule, from 15:30 to 21:00, travel is possible on the west side, at other times of the day – on the east side. But pedestrians are allowed to walk only on the eastern, city-oriented side.
In the tourist pavilion, located at one of the pillars of the bridge on the side of the national park of the same name, you can learn everything about the history of construction and the eventful life of the Golden Gate, visit the exhibition dedicated to the bridge and buy souvenirs with the famous silhouette. Here you can also join an organized tour lasting 45 or 60 minutes or take a picture on top of the bridge support – of course, not without the help of Photoshop.
The assortment of the souvenir shop dedicated to the glory of the bridge is no less impressive than the attraction itself: from banal magnets and T-shirts to winter clothes and even branded chocolate.
In 2014, the Golden Gate Bridge will celebrate its 77th anniversary (it was erected in 1937 and has become completely pedestrian several times in its history – for the opening and for the celebration of the 75th anniversary.
Be sure to pay attention to the so-called test support of the “Golden Gate” presented in the tourist pavilion. A 3.5-meter replica of the bridge pier is made of stainless steel and was used in engineering calculations in 1933.
Another interesting exhibit related to the history of the Golden Gate Bridge is exhibited in the open air not far from the tourist pavilion. This is a real cut of one of the steel ropes connecting the supports. The scale of the exhibit is impressive: the width of the rope is 93 cm, and it is made of 27,000 wires! The explanatory plate tells even more amazing details: the length of one cable on the bridge is 2331 m, the total length of the wire is 128 km, the weight of the cable is 24.5 tons. A triumph of engineering, to be sure!
Address and opening hours
Адрес: Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California.
Opening hours: around the clock; before visiting, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the schedule of travel / passage on the east and west sides (latest information: in winter, the bridge is not accessible to pedestrians from 18:30 to 5:00, and in summer from 21:00 to 5:00); tourist pavilion – from 9:00 to 18:00.
