About the bridge

Moving bridge, moving name,
exciting events

Zemplén 723 in numbers:

Development milestones:

Story

Since the opening of the Zemplén Adventure Park in 2009, the otherwise rich pastime possibilities lacked a pedestrian suspension bridge. The park owners investigated if the valley section between the Szár-hill and the Castle Hill could be suitable for the construction of such a special, record-length bridge.

The first feasibility study was prepared in September 2015; the construction contract was concluded two years later. The 4.5 billion HUF investment is part of the government-approved Tokaj-Zemplén Development Program, which provides almost 150 billion HUF of funds for infrastructure, tourism services and municipal-level development until 2024.

In January 2022, as the first step of the implementation, landscape clearing work began. Structure construction was mostly concluded by the beginning of 2024: the TREP-grids were placed on the support holders. The only remaining part is the highest section of the bridge, 82 metres above the Május-creek, where special glass parts will be installed.

The Bridge of National Unity was inaugurated on June 4, 2024. The bridge was opened to the public on June 6, 2024.

Name

A world record bridge calls for a unique double naming method. Zemplén 723 is an easily understandable phrase for local and international visitors as well. The naming solution was similar in case of many other world-famous suspension bridges, as it specifies the location and the exact length of the bridge.

Next to the fixed name, a revolutionary new name giving practice is the changing name. This changing name or expression, set after the fixed name of the bridge, reflects on one of the special themes of the respective year.

The first changing name of the bridge is Bride of National Unity, for multiple reasons. The bridge, built at the border of three countries, signifies the symbolic unity of Hungarians living in the motherland and those who live beyond the borders.

The naming choice is also a tribute to the historical and cultural heritage of the Hungarian people, highlighting the importance of national identity and belonging.

According to plans, the changing name will be replaced in every year or every second year on the anniversary of the opening ceremony. On every May 1, the name of the respective year is announced, with great media coverage.

Characteristics

The walkway of the bridge planned for the Zemplén Adventure Park is 1.2 metres wide. This width, bigger than the average, makes the bridge accessible from both directions: from the Szár-hill and the Castle Hill as well. This is a huge achievement, as most suspension bridges can only be accessed from one single direction.

The tensioned cables are the main load-bearing parts in the rope bridge structure. Bridgeheads on the two hills were designed to be installed on the same altitude. Cable sag is 27 metres, which forms an arc similar to a second-degree parabola. The longitudinal profile of the bridge, or the fall factor, varies due to the parabolic shape. The steepest sections, up to a gradient of 15%, are found at the bridge ends, while the middle section, several hundred metres long, is almost completely horizontal.

A total of 24162.4 metres of cable were used in the project, ensuring the structural stability and load capacity of the bridge.

The bridge was built using 12000 bolts. 58 ground anchors, drilled into a depth of 21 metres, form the base of the bridge. The total weight of the steel structure, including the base foundations and the reinforced concrete bridgeheads, is 496.55 tons, guaranteeing the robustness and durability. An excellent illustration of the exceptional mechanical capacity of the bridge is the magnitude of the tensile force on the bridge structure, which is 13200 kN (kilonewtons).

Environment

At one of the bridge ends, on the Szár-hill, a unique monument of Sátoraljaújhely was built, which is unmatched in the Carpathian Basin: the Hungarian Calvary monument along the road leading to the town, as well as overlooking it. From the rocks behind St. Stephen’s chapel, there is a wounderful outlook to the Sátoros-mountains, nearby vineyards and the romantic forests of the Zemplén.

The other end of the bridge starts from the Castle Hill, which is the home to the ruins of the castle of Sátoraljaújhely. The Castle Visitor Centre, opened in 2020, offers tourists a state-of-the-art base at the hill foot, where they can explore connections between past and present through the latest technology and historical reconstructions, receiving a unique historical experience.