Blauwbridge is the dutch word for blue bridge.
The name of the bridge comes from a blue wooden bridge that was built there in the area of 1600.
The bridge connects Waterlooplein area with Rembrandtplein.
“Viewed from its streets one sees little or nothing of the Amsterdam that painters have loved. It is far from attractive. I might say it is repulsive, as its own people confess, and confirm their opinion by action, for they flee from the city whenever possible.”
— from ‘Netherlands — How We Saw Amsterdam’ in “Antiques Digest” 1906
THE VIEW OF THE BRIDGE Blauwbrug, Blue Bridge, is one of the city’s most ornate bridges. In 1884 it replaced a wooden version that had connected the shores of the River Amstel at this point, Amstelstaat and Waterlooplein, since the 17th century. Inspired by Paris’s Pont Alexandre III, its most outstanding features are a series of granite Ionic-column street lamps topped by the Hapsburg Imperial crown. Both the bridge’s stone foundations and the decorations on the lampposts are in the shape of a Medieval’s ship prow.
Although the Skinny Bridge is more famous, I really liked the Blue Bridge better. It's just more of an ornate style that I prefer. My understanding is that it was inspired by the Alexander III Bridge in Paris. I can see that.
Traveling via the canals or on foot in Amsterdam, you'll see lots and lots of bridges. My favorite was the Blauwbrug (blue bridge), the name coming from the 16th century wooden bridge that is no longer there, painted blue after the 1578 Protestant takeover. The current stone bridge from 1884 is modeled after the Pont Alexandre III bridge in Paris and features ships, ornate lanterns and the imperial crown of Maximilian of Austria.
I'm not sure if we saw the Magere Brug, the famous skinny drawbridge across the river Amstel named after the Mager sisters who lived on opposite sides of the river, but we did see one of the other drawbridges on the canal trip.
The Blauw Brug, or Blue Bridge, owes its name to a bridge that no longer exists and which was painted the caracteristic blue of the Dutch flag. However, it kept its name also after 1883 when it was replaced by the spans of a new bridge (see picture) which is none other than an exact copy of the Alexandre the 3rd Bridge in Paris.
The bridge is called “Blue Bridge” by the people of Amsterdam most probably after the wooden bridge, which crossed the Amstel River and was painted blue by beginning of 17th century.
The present brick bridge (which replaced the old wooden bridge) was made in preparation for the 1883 World Exhibition in Amsterdam and designed by W.H. Springer and B. de Greef (they were influenced by the Parisian bridge Pont Alexandre III).
Note the splendid pillars which combine brick and sandstone ornaments in the shape of ships’ bows; marble pillars with masks and crowns; sandstone vases, lampposts in the shape of ships’ bows, Ionic capitals. The matching lanterns are decorated with crowns.
The name of this bridge is Blauwbrug (blue bridge). The former wooden bridge (±1600)here was painted blue.
The bridge dates back to 1884. It is a design of W.H. Springer and B. de Greef.
It is a monumental steady plate bridge with three passages. The pilars are made from bricks and natural stone in the form of shipbows with marble pilars on top. The balustrade is made of natural stone.
In 1999 the bridge was restored.
One of the most impressive bridges of Amsterdam is the "Blauwe Brug". It has an almost Parisian look and was built in 1884 under architect W.H. Springer and B. de Greef and replaced the former wooden "Blue bridge" that was here already from around 1600. The stone bridge has three openings for ships and is richly decorated. The bases are formed like ships bows and on top columns with leave-motives, masks and finally imperial crowns. Also the lantern poles have shipping decorations and the lanterns themselves are again in the shape of crowns. The bridge houses a busy road that is also used by the tramway.
I did find it a strange name because it is grey. but later i saw the lightpoles have some blue.
on a canalboat tour i heard it is a copy of a bridge in Paris.
More grey than blue this was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1883. It crosses the Amstel, which gives the city its name.