Europa Nostra, the European Voice of Civil Society dedicated to Cultural Heritage has published Tuesday the list of 7 most endangered monuments in Europe for 2022, including the Bird Bridge in Albania. 

The official website of Europa Nostra states that the Bird Bridge is a masterpiece of civil engineering of the early 20th century in the Balkans. Built-in 1927 on the Mat River in northern Albania, the bridge is known for its architectural structure, length and style of its steel arches. It is considered an important achievement in the field of metal structures and concrete structures built on rivers in Southern Europe. Named after King Zog I of Albania, the bridge is also known as the "bridge with five arches". Designed by German and Swiss engineers, the construction of the bridge was implemented by Albanian engineer Gjovalin Gjadri, using materials imported from Italy. Initially, it consisted of six arches, but one of the arches was destroyed during World War II. 

Despite the importance of the industrial heritage and the fact that the Zogu Bridge has been declared a Cultural Monument of the first category by the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Albania, the bridge is poorly maintained and is in an advanced state of disrepair. The structure is in immediate danger of collapsing due to damage caused to one of its columns. Since the construction of two new bridges over the Mat River in 1987 and 2000, the Bird Bridge has been exploited, but it is often visited by tourists given its original design and historical value. 

7 most endangered monuments 

Zogu Bridge, Albania 

Récollets Monastery, Levels, BELGIUM 

Garden City La Butte Rouge, near Paris, FRANCE 

Stolberg Historic Center, GERMANY 

Baths of Neptune, B?ile 

Boansn Herculane Palace, near Cádiz, SPAIN 

Castle Crèvecoeur, Den Bosch, NETHERLANDS